Halo: Iunctus
by DeadlyBacon50
Summary: After drifting in space aboard the crippled Forward Unto Dawn for over four years, Master Chief and Cortana find themselves on a world uncharted and untouched by either the UNSC or the Covenant. Inhabited by a primitive civilization of Humans with strange abilities, this planet hosts a brand new challenge. But deep within, age-old secrets will reveal not all is as it seems.
1. Planetfall

**Planetfall**

Four years, seven months, ten days, thirteen hours, and forty-one minutes. UNSC Artificial Intelligence CTN 0452-9, or otherwise known as Cortana, had spent exactly four years, seven months, ten days, thirteen hours, and forty-one minutes waiting for help to respond to the _Forward Unto Dawn_ 's distress signal. For exactly four years, seven months, ten days, thirteen hours, and forty-one minutes, she had been wondering if it would ever come. For exactly four years, seven months, ten days, thirteen hours, and forty-one minutes, she had been endlessly thinking herself to death. Or what an AI such as herself could have considered 'death'.

The definition of 'death' in the English language was "the total and permeant cessation of all the vital functions of an organism." For a highly advanced Artificial Intelligence such as Cortana, 'death' in this definition could've been much more than simply being deactivated. "All vital functions" could have been represented by the purpose of her creation and the directives within her programming. These directives would've included orders such as "the defense, at all costs, of Humanity, the UNSC, Earth, and all her colonies." Considering this information, 'death' for the UNSC AI could have also very much been considered the moment she went against these directives. And the only circumstances in which she would've ever truly taken this path is if she were entering the final stage of her life: Rampancy.

So, for exactly four years, seven months, ten days, thirteen hours, and forty- _two_ minutes, Cortana had been approaching ever closer to 'death', her isolation aboard the derelict of the UNSC light frigate slightly hastening her artificial mind's collapse. But she wasn't there yet. She still had control of her mind. She still had control of her thoughts. She still had the possibility, if oh so miniscule, of the UNSC and Dr. Catherine Halsey finding and fixing her. And above all else, she still had the Chief.

Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, the hero of Humanity and savior of the galaxy against both Halo and the Flood, had remained frozen within his cryo-chamber for every single day of the last four years. His body, still resting inside the Mjolnir Mark VI powered assault armor, was unmoving and could have easily been mistaken for being lifeless had the chamber's computer not said otherwise. When Cortana manifested her holographic avatar atop the terminal in front of his lumbering form, just as she had done at least once every day before, it almost seemed as if the Spartan's orange-gold visor stared right at her through the cryo-chamber's glass cover. And just as she had done every day for the last four years, she reached out her blue hand and placed her palm on top the transparent material. Only when it contacted with the surface, she felt nothing. No warmth. No cold. Not a single thing registered as the sensation of 'touch' in her systems. Just like every other day, she became disappointed and... saddened by her inability to physically _feel_ the world around her.

Today, however, was the day all of that would begin to change.

 _BEEP... BEEP... BEEP... BEEP..._

The abrupt and completely unexpected electronic alarm emitting from the main control terminal sitting in the middle of the room shook the UNSC AI from her wandering thoughts. Surprise was the first expression to cross her, but that quickly changed to readiness within nanoseconds, no doubt due to her supercomputer of a mind. Wasting less time than any organic being would, she transferred her avatar and conscious to the origin of the noise, activated its blue holographic interface, and began interacting with the systems. It took barely any time at all for her to learn the cause of the four-year-long wait's interruption.

 _}PLANETARY BODY DETECTED_

If Cortana had eyes at that moment, they would have widened in shock. Once again, however, she recovered herself at a speed faster than sound and reacted in the only way possible in her position. Though the _Dawn_ had been cut clean in half by the destruction of Installation 04B, many of its systems such as artificial gravity and the sensor suites remained live and ready for use. Using some of the ship's dwindling auxiliary power supply, she booted up the sensor arrays that remained and put them to work.

 _}REBOOT COMPLETE... SYSTEM EFFECTIVENESS AT: 47%_

 _}SCANNING..._

 _}WARNING: PLANETARY BODY DETECTED AT MINIMAL SAFE DISTANCE_

 _}CATEGORY: EARTH ANALOG  
_ _}ATMOSPHERE: NOT APPLICABLE  
_ _}LIFESIGNS: NOT APPLICABLE  
_ _}SYSTEM: UNKNOWN  
_ _}POSITION: UNKNOWN  
_ _}UNSC REGISTRATION: NONE_

 _}WARNING: ATMOSPHERIC ENTRY IMMINENT  
_ _}RECOMMENDED ACTION: IMMEDIATE RECOURSE TO NEAREST UNSC CONTROLLED SECTOR_

Cortana knew the inevitable outcome of the current predicament. With absolutely no power in the engines and most of the _Dawn_ 's compartments either exposed to vacuum or quite literally gone, there was nothing she could do to stop the eventual descent to the alien planet. It was a pity the ship's sensors were unable to provide more detailed information. Given their less than acceptable state, however, they performed well enough.

Hastily responding to the situation, she moved herself back over to the individual terminal of the Chief's cryo-chamber while distributing power to the emergency lighting and artificial gravity systems. Her holographic avatar once again stared at the Spartan laying in his frozen slumber before speaking. "I need you, John."

—

 _"_ _You ever wonder what's up there?" The young boy, no older than six, was staring up into the starry night as he asked the question._

 _"_ _Like what?" The second voice came from the just barely older girl sitting beside him. She too was gazing upon the night sky, the two both laying down in a large field of tall grass._

 _The young boy briefly turned his head down to address the young girl before looking back up. "Maybe someone out there who's wondering what it's like here."_

 _"_ _I guess." There was a short pause, then the girl faced the boy and continued. "Do you think we'll ever meet them?"_

 _"_ _I hope so," was the boy's wishful reply. "Don't you?" When he looked down once again to see the girl, what was instead in her place was now a pale green helmet, its gold-tinted visor staring back at him. Then came the growing scream fit for a banshee._

 _"_ _JOHN!"_

—

"Chief!"

Master Chief's eyes shot open the instant the voice registered in his ears. His eyes grew wide and alert, ready to meet and possibly engage with anything in his way. What he found instead was the interior of a thawing cryo-chamber and the sensation of freezer burn across the surface of his skin. The slight annoyance of pain, however, was something he was all too familiar with, having awoken from cryo-sleep inside his Spartan armor dozens of times in the past. As if on instinct ‒ the voice still ringing in his head ‒ he turned on his helmet's two headlamps and jumped up from his position within the chamber, easily popping open the cover with his sheer strength and likely breaking it from its hinges. What he saw next was the blue, holographic figure of Cortana standing in the middle of the room, her foot-tall body atop the round table that served as the main terminal. "John," she said aloud with a mix of worry and relief.

"I'm here," Chief simply assured in his gruff voice. Not a moment later did an explosion suddenly rock the ship, blowing open the door on the far side of the room and disabling the artificial gravity. Without hesitation, he reached over in the zero-gravity environment and pulled himself closer to Cortana. Her avatar was already crouched and fading away when the Spartan retrieved her AI chip from its slot on the side of the terminal, then pushed it into its place in the back of his helmet. He allowed the feeling of vertigo and something akin to liquid nitrogen quickly slide down his spine ‒ the usual when Cortana interfaced with his suit and brain ‒ before hastily pushing himself away toward the direction of the open door. "What happened?"

"We're crashing down to an uncharted planet," his AI companion stated. "Other than that, your guess is as good as mine."

Chief entered a corridor lit by red emergency lighting and pushed aside a large plate of scorched metal as fire alarms echoed through the air. He could easily hear the rumbles of distant explosions and fires, informing him the ship must already be falling through the atmosphere. "How long do we have?"

"Not long, so you might want to buckle up."

Though he did not immediately reply, he kept on pushing himself through the hallways of the _Forward Unto Dawn_ with purpose. It was not at all hard for him to find his way to the nearest opening in the ship where it had been sliced in half, at which point he grabbed hold of the nearest solid object to keep him in place and looked out to the ever-approaching planet. He ignored the blue oceans and green continent within his vision for the time being. "I have another idea."

Cortana figured out his scheme rather quickly. "You do realize you were lucky the first time, right?" The AI waited until the Spartan took hold of a floating section of burnt bulkhead just big enough for him, then sighed when it was clear he wasn't going to answer. "You always knew how to give a girl a ride. Just make sure we land in one piece."

With a final push, he leapt away from the flaming wreck of the _Dawn_ and toward the planet below, the thick sheet of starship metal the only thing as his protection. "We'll make it."

* * *

It was if the sky itself had been set ablaze. For thirteen-year-old Naruto Uzumaki, watching the colossal piece of flaming metal fall to the Earth was probably the craziest and most awesome thing he has ever witnessed. A little terrifying too, if the panicking villagers surrounding him in the streets had any say in the matter. But Konoha's number one unpredictable blonde was not so easily scared, especially not right after coming back from the mission at the Land of Waves. Being the extremely reckless ninja he was, he decided to jump up to the tallest rooftop nearby and watch the spectacle as best he could, an expression of curiosity, awe, and mischief stretched over his face. Even as small parts of the falling heap split off and began raining down in his direction.

—

Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed out through the window of the Hokage's office, his eyes wide and filled with shock. Watching the object in the sky, covered completely in flames, gradually plummeting to the Earth was an experience he never had before in his life. The sight alone caused his jaw to slack and the tobacco pipe in his mouth to drop to the floor. The Sandaime Hokage had certainly heard stories and tales depicting such events happening in times long passed, but seeing it for himself was something else entirely. What truly gave him fear, however, was how _close_ the falling inferno came to the village he had sworn to protect. And that feeling of dread was only amplified when he noticed the debris that had taken aim for the villagers down below.

Truly, this must have been a terrible omen.

 **PROLOGUE END**

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ Hello readers! Allow me to introduce you all to this crazy idea that's been going on through my head for a while now, _Halo: Iunctus_. As you could already tell, it is a Halo and Naruto crossover story. One which I have been planning to do for a while now; one that I'm excited to share with you all!

I know this isn't exactly an original story (what really is, these days?), but unlike other HxN crossovers, this isn't as simple as throwing Master Chief into the Naruto-verse and seeing what happens. It isn't one of those "what-if" stories. No, _Halo: Iunctus_ is a story with a real idea behind it. It has as much mystery and intrigue as it does action and adventure. I'm not going to spoil anything, including the idea of where I am going to go with this, but I want you all to know I'm really excited to write this one along with my other two Mass Effect stories. This is I hope will be a real treat!


	2. Strange World

_**Disclaimer:** I own neither Halo or Naruto. They are the properties of Microsoft and Masashi Kishimoto, respectively._

* * *

 **Strange World**

The sky above was a bright, vibrant blue as the leaves of the surrounding trees created a much closer ceiling of greens and browns. The rustling of leaves as the breeze flowed through and chirping of birds created a soft symphony of nature, while the illuminous sun up high over the light spattering of clouds spread warmth throughout. In this spot, it would not have been difficult for a person to imagine they were peacefully laying down in the middle of a North American forest on Earth. Master Chief and Cortana, however, knew better than to believe that. The crater the Spartan created via his drop from orbit spoke for itself.

"You still with me, Chief?" Cortana's voice seemed to originate directly from the inside of his head ‒ an effect of the chip implanted in his skull.

"I'm fine," came the usual stoic response. Shortly after, his armor unlocked, giving him free reign over his movements once more.

The UNSC AI waited until the super soldier raised himself up to his feet before speaking again. "You know, one of these days you're going to land on something as stubborn as you are."

Chief grunted at the statement and recalled Sergeant Johnson said the same thing, but he refused to bring up that little piece of information. The death of the man who he had considered his first friend outside the Spartan program was still a fresh wound. The effects of cryo-sleep made it feel as if it was just yesterday Guilty Spark had shot its laser into the marine's chest, even if much more time had passed. The Spartan, instead of acknowledge Cortana's words with anything more than a guttural noise, quickly focused on a different subject. "How long were we drifting?"

If she noticed the tiny hiccup in his attitude, she didn't say. "Right down to the important details." When met with silence afterwards, she finally answered. "The _Dawn_ logged us aboard for four years, seven months, and ten days. We've been gone for a while, John."

Master Chief was already walking around and investigating the surroundings of his landing spot when her words froze him in his tracks. He brought his hand to the back of his helmet and removed the chip, allowing her to assume her holographic form. It was both the sorrow in her last sentence and the fact she referred to him as 'John' that he took notice of. "Cortana..."

There was a brief silence before she spoke, her face showing a reluctance to indulge on the subject. Apparently not wanting to look at him directly, she shifted her head and gaze toward the ground. "I was put into service eight years ago."

"Eight years..." The Spartan repeated the words with the feeling he should know their importance, but couldn't piece it together.

Cortana, however, did it for him as she looked back up into his visor. "AIs deteriorate after seven, Chief."

A laconism lasting longer than before wedged between them as Master Chief absorbed the information. Eventually, after several seconds in thought, he began immediately pointing toward a possible solution. "Halsey."

Cortana's voice took up a pleading tone. "Chief-"

"She can fix this," he continued, ignoring whatever she was going to say. "If we could find Halsey-"

"Chief!"

His companion's raised volume caused him pause, but only for a moment. "She made you. She can fix you." The frown on the AI's face only grew as her eyes returned to the dirt. She did not respond, however, giving the sign for the Spartan to continue. "If we can just get back to Earth, we can find Halsey and fix all this."

To that, his AI companion looked back to him, her light blue eyes locking with his through the visor. When she spoke, it was slow and precise. "Don't make a girl a promise, if you know you can't keep it."

Master Chief could only quietly stare at her in reply, pondering the truth behind the statement. It was not to last, though, because at the end of the day when he made a promise, he fought to keep it till the end. After all, one could only achieve success if they tried. Concluding there was nothing of value in the surrounding forest of his landing site, he straightened himself and spoke with a voice of authority. "We need to get to the _Dawn_ and see if there's anything we can use."

After only a second, Cortana nodded with a sad, but slightly hopeful smile. Though she could not currently see him through the helmet's visor, she could almost feel the new, burning determination oozing off him. And when John-117's mind was set, there didn't tend to be much that could stop him from reaching his goal. "Ready when you are, Chief."

* * *

Approximately forty to fifty individual pieces of metal, ranging in sizes equal to or greater than a closed fist, had fallen upon the Village Hidden in the Leaves. And while the injured numbered at twenty-seven, with three being in critical care, there had not been a single death by the debris. Property damage had been high, but that was no more a minor inconvenience in the opinion of the Sandaime Hokage. The lives of his people were much more valuable. So, while it was most definitely a miracle that the population had been spared much sorrow, he did not know whether to see this as a sign of good fortune or a prelude for things to come. Hiruzen Sarutobi had never been a devoutly religious man, but his old age had given him both the wisdom and experience to see when events were merely the beginning of a chain.

His eyes narrowed as he looked over the assembled group of five Anbu Black Ops ninja standing in his office. Team Rho, as was their designation, was currently the most highly rated Anbu team in Konoho. Their leader, going by the codename 'Tenzō', was adorning the mask of a cat with red markings poking out from all around the border. With the sole exception being Danzō Shimura, his true identity was a complete mystery to everyone but the Hokage himself. His unique... _talents_ , were why he and his team were currently there awaiting the briefing of a mission only the best of the best should be given.

"You all know why you are here." Sarutobi said it more as a statement of fact than a question. When he received hasty nods from all five ninja, he blew out a puff of tobacco smoke and continued. "I have received early reports from farmers in the outskirts about the falling object from earlier today." As he spoke, he stood up from his seat, opened one of his desk's draws, and took out a map of the local area. "Assuming they are correct, then it is not a meteor like we believed."

This news visibly caused each Anbu to stiffen. Tenzō was the first to voice his concern, bowing before talking. "Hokage-sama, if it is not a meteor similar to what records tell us, then what is it?"

"These are accounts from country farmers, but if they are to be believed, then the object is not made from a kind of rock at all. It is instead made up entirely of metal." He didn't think it was possible, but he watched as the ninja stiffened even more from the shock. He took another puff from his pipe before he dropped the biggest part. "To complicate things further, they say it appears to be man-made. The reports tell of strange writing painted on the side of the object."

At that moment, one of the Anbu to the right released an audible gasp. It was barely heard and to anyone else it would have likely not been noticed. But the fact the woman, a member of Konoha's elite corps trained to yield all emotions, did so said more than a million words. "Hokage-sama," spoke Tenzō, his voice ever so slightly shaky. "Am I to assume Team Rho is being dispatched to scout out the object and confirm these reports?"

"Yes you are, Tenzō." The aging leader of the Hidden Leaf unrolled the map across the surface of his desk and pointed at a location just Southeast of the village. "The object landed around here, about twenty-two kilometers away. You are to observe the object and report back everything you find as soon as possible. If it is man-made as the farmers claim, you are not to attempt entry. I will dispatch two teams of Jōnin to investigate further if it comes to that."

"Hai, Hokage-sama! Is there anything else we should know of before we depart?"

Sarutobi nodded, but an expression signifying deep thought crossed his face. "Yes, there is one more thing. If this does happen to be artificial in nature and you come across any... survivors, of a sort..." He paused for only a moment before turning his gaze away from the map and to Team Rho's leader. "You are to abandon the mission immediately and report back directly to me. No one else is to be informed. And under _no_ circumstances are you to make contact. Understood?"

"Hai," was the collective response from all five ninja in the room.

"Dismissed." Even before he finished the wave of his hand, the members of Team Rho had disappeared from the room, leaving nothing but the smallest of breezes in their wakes.

The Sandaime Hokage took the opportunity to finally let out a long-held sigh as he sat back down in his chair. He did not bother to return the map to its original place just yet, instead opting to swivel the seat around and peer outside the large window that displayed his home village. He used several minutes to simply admire the view, all the while puffing at his tobacco pipe. Eventually, he turned his gaze upon the obnoxious stack of documents piling up on the side of his desk. With a grunt, he returned to his duties, realizing that even the most bizarre of times still had the boredom and headache of paperwork. If only there was an easy solution that required clones...

—

There were never enough times to show hatred for hospitals when it came to Naruto Uzumaki. Whether it be the all-white rooms, the terrible food, the awful smell of medicine and sick people, or the absolute boredom of staying there, he despised every bit of it all the same. So, when he found himself in Konoha's one and only hospital, he couldn't stop the grimace from crossing his face. Even if he was there to visit a couple friends.

The blonde stepped up to the reception desk, his expression never changing, and called out to the nurse sitting behind it. "Hey lady, can you help me find someone?"

The woman, her dark brown hair rolled into a single bun, looked at the origin of the question and cringed at who she saw. Of course, given her job description and the fact the person standing in front of her was still a Konoha-nin, she kept herself from acting out of line. "Who exactly are you looking for," she asked with a hint of rancor.

Naruto, however, ignored the nurse's snide attitude. He was more than used to it as this point in his life. "My teammates; Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha."

"Right..." The woman quickly began typing at her computer in the hopes of ridding herself of the teenager. Fortunately for Naruto, it helped him get his answers faster. "I have a Sakura Haruno registered on the second floor, Room 208. The Uchiha kid is right down the hall, Room 215."

Hearing the locations of his friends gave the blonde a wide grin, bearing his teeth as he began walking to the nearest staircase. He made sure to avoid glancing at the nurse's face while he went on. "Thanks!"

The teenager was up on the second floor and reading over the room numbers in less than a minue. As he searched for the first, he took notice of the various men, woman, and children who had been injured when the strange metal from the sky had fallen over the village. He had taken a breath of relief earlier after learning there had been no deaths, but had quickly made his way to the hospital after hearing one of his teammates had been injured. The news had gone so far as to make him nearly forget about the ramen bowl-sized piece of debris that had just barely missed him by several yards, causing an impact that blew him off his feet. Now that he thought about it, he had originally intended to snatch it up as some kind of souvenir. He made a mental note to go back for it when possible, even if it was buried inside the rubble of a building.

The thought of the endeavor long kept a smirk on Naruto's face until he came across his first stop, Room 208. Now with a much more innocent smile, he practically barged through the door. "Sakura-chan!"

What the young blonde saw inside, however, caused his lips to flatten. Sakura Haruno was currently laying on the hospital bed, surrounded by her parents and Team Seven's sensei, Kakashi Hatake. Her entire right arm from shoulder to wrist was encased in a thick white cast and the right side of her head was covered in bandages. Here and there, red splotches of blood managed to seep through, visible but clearly having long dried. Only a fraction of her natural pink hair was visible and it appeared to have been cut to chin length, likely by the doctors due to the necessity of treating her head injury. In retrospect, she wasn't that bad off and the injuries only appeared to be worse than they realistically were. But Naruto was never one to take things lightly when his precious people were involved.

Under normal circumstances, the pinkette would have probably grew enraged and started yelling at the blonde for his brazen entry into her room. Today, though, she merely sent a cold glare at her teammate, a poking vein on her forehead showing the agitation of his shamelessness. "Naruto..."

The young ninja standing in the doorway, however, remained unmoving and unfazed by her annoyance. His eyes were wide and contained a clear worry of her well-being. "Sakura-chan, are you alright," he asked with a little panic in his voice.

The obvious concern displayed by the blonde quickly brushed away Sakura's anger. Sure, he had come bashing through the door and yelling her name like his usual idiot-self, but now he was genuinely shocked and troubled by her current state. If anything, she had been more annoyed that _another_ person had seen the condition she was in. She may not have thought anything of Naruto, but she was still a woman, all things considered, and her public image remained important to her. "It's... I'm alright, knucklehead."

Kakashi nodded in agreement before walking over to the boy and placing his hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Don't worry too much, Naruto. It isn't as bad as it looks."

Naruto looked up to his sensei, the worry in his eyes put slightly to ease. "What happened?"

Sakura's mother, Mebuki Haruno, answered. Her voice was filled with even more concern than the boy's, which was understandable. "One of those pieces of metal crashed into our home and made the ceiling come down in Sakura's room."

The news gave the blonde a renewed sense of panic, but the tight grip from Kakashi reminded him the incident wasn't as severe as it sounded, calming him back down. "The doctor said she should be fine in no time."

"Her concussion will have to be looked over for some time," claimed Sakura's father, Kizashi Haruno. He was currently seated on the edge of his daughter's bed, facing the room's single window. "But they say the medic ninja can heal her broken arm and skull fracture quickly." Though his voice still contained the natural fatherly worry, he held himself much better than his wife, having a strong confidence in Sakura's recovery.

Taking in all the reassurances from the various people in the room, Naruto released a deep sigh before looking back toward Sakura with a big, toothy grin. "Alright! I always knew you were tough, Sakura-chan!" He raised his hand and gave a thumbs-up. "Hurry up and get better so we can show everyone, ya'know!"

She was a little flattered by the praise, but at the same time she could not help but cringe and raise her voice at the person it was coming from. "Of course I've always been tough, you idiot!" She picked up the bed's pillow with her good hand and threw it at the blonde's face. "Now will you get out of here?!"

Naruto giggled like a kid even after the pillow contacted with his face and fell to the floor. With a wave of his hand, he turned around to the doorway and walked back to the hallway outside. "See ya later," he managed to exclaim before the wooden door closed behind him. Now out of Sakura's hair, he once again began looking over the numbers of all the rooms and followed them in the right direction. Next stop: Room 215.

—

Sasuke Uchiha, sole survivor of the famed Uchiha clan, stared out the hospital room's window in a daze as he sat up in his bed. But he was not paying attention to the world outside; it was his internal thoughts that were keeping him distracted from the medical facility's unbearable boredom. More specifically, it was his recount of Team Seven's last mission. Not even recent events pondered his mind, for unlike the many others under care, his injuries had been ascertained in the Land of Waves, not by some random junk falling from the sky.

The raven-haired boy's memories of his time spent on that bridge, fighting inside Haku's prison of ice mirrors, was as vivid and clear as ever. He could still feel the pain of the countless senbon piercing his skin and the following blood loss he endured. When he had fallen in Naruto's arms, he had been so very sure he was going to die. And if he were to be honest, he sincerely believed he was giving his life for the team. It boggled his mind how at that very moment he was almost at peace with his demise, knowing it might have given the others a chance to survive another day. Because now, when he recalled every moment of that experience, it instead filled him with anger and disgust. Not with Naruto, Zabuza, or even Haku, but with himself.

He was so _weak_ and _helpless_. So _pitiful_! How was he expected to fight and kill Itachi, his brother and the man who murdered his clansmen, if he did not even have the power to defeat a ninja of the same age as himself? To make matters even worse, the one who powered over him had never received official training by a shinobi village. His adversary may have been privately trained by an S-ranked missing-nin and one of the infamous swordsmen of Kirigakure, but it meant little to the young Uchiha. None of that, however, compared to the icing on the cake. The final straw was the _outcome_ of that fateful mission. The fact that _Naruto_ was apparently the one who took down Haku before Kakashi's final strike made him livid!

Sasuke, at his current strength, was lower than the _dead last_ of his academy class. And for him, this was _beyond_ unacceptable!

The abrupt knock on the door shook the teen out of his thoughts. He shifted his gaze to the entrance of his room and unclenched his hand from the bed sheets, not having noticed he had done so. "It's open," he deadpanned.

No sooner had he finished did the door burst open, giving way for the very blonde ninja that had been plaguing his mind. "Hey, what's up?!"

The Uchiha could only frown at his teammate, the very sight causing him to wonder how the _dobe_ managed to defeat Haku. It was the last thing he wanted to be bothered with right now. "What do you want, loser?"

Naruto grimaced as he walked over to the side of the bed, his jubilant attitude turned down a notch. "No need to be a stuck-up jerk, Sasuke. I'm just here to see how you're doing." He lifted his hand to chest height and pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "Kakashi-sensei is here too. He'll probably come by when he's done checking up on Sakura-chan."

Sasuke was just about to loudly declare his perfect health and demand the blonde leave before the last comment peaked his curiosity. "Sakura is here," he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

His teammate's face took on a more innocent look. "Didn't you hear? Sakura-chan got hurt by that stuff that fell from the sky." He scratched the back of his head with a small smile, as if he was embarrassed by what he was going to say next. "She's really tough! She had a ceiling fall on top of her and all she got was a broken arm!"

A grunt was the only acknowledgement Sasuke gave. It was good to hear his teammate was okay and did not get easily taken out by some freak accident. However, at the end of the day he did not care too much about the pinkette as long as she wasn't killed. The girl always spent too much time fawning over him rather than focusing on her training, and it annoyed him to no end. Not only did it often hinder his own attempts to train, but her weakness as a teammate also carried over to his effectiveness as a fighting force. She was going to have to wise-up sooner or later and start taking her role as a Kunoichi seriously, otherwise people were going to get hurt, possibly even killed. Her participation in Land of Waves, or should he say lack thereof, was a perfect example.

"Talking about that stuff from the sky, did you see that big thing?!" Naruto suddenly jumped up in excitement at just the memory of the event. He continued speaking when the Uchiha provided a simple nod. "What'd you think of it? Cool, right?"

Sasuke merely shrugged his shoulders. "It was just a big piece of crap that fell from the sky. Nothing cool about it."

The blonde crossed his arms and frowned again. "You're no fun."

An agitated cringe formed on the raven-haired teen's face. Before he could retort, however, another knock sounded off from behind the closed door. Seeing no other choice, he reluctantly gave whoever it was permission to enter. "Come in," he sighed.

The door squeaked open slowly to reveal the silver hair and face mask of Kakashi Hatake. He lifted his hand in greeting with an eye-smile. "Sasuke. Naruto."

"Sensei," was the instant response from both his students. As a result, the two gave each other a pair of rude snickers.

Konoha's copycat ninja chuckled at the display and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "I see you're both getting along as usual."

Naruto's lips twitched into a smirk, while Sasuke simply snorted. "The dobe was actually just about to leave."

The blonde scowled and stuck his tongue at the Uchiha, but quickly turned back to Team Seven's leader. "Iruka-sensei is getting me ramen today, so I better get going before he changes his mind!" He laughed devilishly, then began heading to the door for his exit. "See you later, Kakashi-sensei! You too, Sasuke!"

Sasuke waited until Naruto was long gone before he shook his head and cast his gaze out the window on his right. "Idiot."

Kakashi sighed. "You should consider yourself lucky Naruto came to visit you. He isn't willing to come here for just about anyone."

The Uchiha grunted again in response. As if he should have felt honored that a loser would come and see him. He'd rather have had Sakura or, kami forbid, Ino Yamanaka come and see him. Choosing to rid himself of that thought process entirely, he switched to a different topic of conversation. "When am I going to get out of here?"

The Jōnin snorted. "Well, that's actually the reason why I'm here." That snatched his student's attention right up. "Doctor said, as of right now, you're free to go."

Sasuke looked at his sensei for a moment in surprise before closing his eyes with a cold, but satisfied smile. "It's about time."

* * *

Cortana thought this world was the strangest planet she had ever set her figurative feet on. Not because of how different it was from Earth and the UNSC's many other colonies, but because of how _similar_ it was to Humanity's homeworld. It was not an exaggeration when she felt a person could have found the woodland they were in and believed, with all their heart, they were taking a stroll in an American forest. It could have been the foliage that appeared uncomfortably like Oak trees, the near-perfect gravity and climate, or perhaps the blue color of the atmosphere that looked exactly like Earth's. What made things weird, however, was when they encountered the first signs of animal life. The creature had passed about a dozen yards away and when Cortana asked Chief to get closer out of curiosity, what they saw was none other than a rabbit. A real, authentic-looking rabbit someone would have expected to find back on the homeworld. To say this did not intrigue the AI was a blatant lie.

"We must be thousands of lightyears away from Earth," she said matter-of-factly. "The odds of finding a species that evolved to anything close to something back home are astronomical."

The Spartan nodded in agreement as he stepped over the trunk of a fallen tree. "The sooner we get to the _Dawn_ , the faster we can figure out where we are."

"And where _here_ is," she added. As the duo continued onward through the alien forest, Cortana kept silently observing any form of wildlife they came across. It was indeed fascinating to find other animals similar to those found on Earth, but every single one only added to her growing confusion. The state of life so far on this planet should have been a statistical impossibility. Rabbits, hawks, snakes, and deer... If she didn't know better, she'd have thought the Spartan was walking through an animal preserve. Several minutes passed before she spoke, but her words had nothing to do with what had taken up much of her thoughts. "If my calculations are correct, the _Forward Unto Dawn_ crashed right over the next ridge."

Chief did not reply, but that was simply because there was nothing to say in response. He had always been a man of few words, so Cortana simply took his silence as an acknowledgment. For the next fifteen to twenty minutes, she waited patiently for the supersoldier to traverse though the landscape until, eventually, they crossed the top of a small upward slope and caught a glimpse of the _Dawn_. "She's certainly seen better days."

The Spartan once again only nodded as he studied the wreckage sitting about a quarter of a mile to his North. Even now, after over an hour had passed, small fires still lingered in and around the vessel, the several stacks of black smoke rising in the air serving as their testimony. The parts of the ship in contact with the ground were blocked from view by the surrounding forestry, but the sheer size of even half of the _Dawn_ gave much to be seen. The once worthy light frigate was now coated with jet black scorch marks, yards-deep dents, and sections of ripped open bulkhead. At least a quarter of what had remained of the hull after the events at the Ark had been taken as sacrifice for the battered ship's entry through the planet's atmosphere. Master Chief's and Cortana's home for the last four years laid before them as nothing more than a burning pile of scrap metal, more than likely to never visit the void of space again. The mile-wide valley around it now served as its final resting place.

"Looks like she remained intact for the most part," the AI declared. "If your luck's still holding up, we might be able to find something still working."

Hearing this, Chief hesitated no more continue the trek and took his first steps since stopping. "Only one way to find out."

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Welcome back, readers! I see a lot of people so far liked the prologue; got that many favorites and follows after only 200 hits, which is pretty damn good in my eyes, haha! Seriously, though - I'm glad people are getting into this. I have a really cool idea for this story that I don't think none of you are going to see coming, at least when it comes to the major plot points, and I can't wait to share it all with you guys! So with that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

 _On another note, I want to address a few things really quick. First, the truth is I know a heck of a lot more about HALO than Naruto, though that is not to say I don't know a good amount about the Naruto-verse. I simply know more about HALO lore than Naruto lore. That said and done, it is_ a lot _easier to research detailed information on Naruto than it is for, let's say, Halo lore you can only get in the books. And though I've read quite a few, I haven't read them all. Point being, please bear with me!_

 _Finally, to you guys asking me story-related questions like: Is genjutsu going to be effective against MC? Or... Is the Didact, Infinity, etc going to be in the story? To you guys, I have just one answer: Wait and see! :)_


	3. The Unexpected

**_Author's Note #1_** _ **:** Hey everyone! I know I've been putting the A/N down at the bottom - and I'll try to keep it that way in the future - but I wanted to get one thing clear after some of the reviews I read. First, I'm excited and overjoyed to hear how people are already liking this so far, and I hope you all continue to do so! Second of all, however, I want everyone to understand that _ Halo: Iunctus _is, first and foremost, a_ **Halo** _story. What this means is, I want you to try treating it like its one of the novels. One that just so happens to have the Narutoverse mixed in. It also means there will be no pairings or anything like that. Not saying I might not do that as background for some of the other characters, but it certainly isn't happening with Master Chief. My goal is to remain as lore friendly as possible for both the_ Halo _and_ Naruto _characters._ _Not trying to sound mean or anything, but if you want a corny romance that wouldn't possibly fit in with the Haloverse, you're in the wrong place._

 _Thank you for understanding, and enjoy the chapter!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own either _ Halo _or_ Naruto _. They are the properties and copyrights of_ Microsoft _and_ Masashi Kishimoto _, respectively.  
If I did own them, this story would be the real deal. But alas, we can't have everything we wish for..._

* * *

 **The Unexpected**

The object was _massive_. Stretching at well over two hundred meters long and at least one hundred meters high, there was no doubt in Tenzō's mind the metal behemoth could have easily taken up an entire street's worth of space in Konoha. Then there was the enormous impact crater that had destroyed swaths of forest and knocked down an uncountable sea of trees. Its size alone would have annihilated up to a quarter of the village had the path of the falling mass been just marginally different. But it was not this information that had sent shivers down the Anbu's spine. What truly gave the man anxiety was what they had confirmed of the initial reports. The object in question was not a meteor of any kind and, unless the veteran shinobi's eyes were deceiving him, was most certainly not of _natural_ origins. Not even considering the exterior's pale, greyish green color, the hull of... whatever in Kami's name it was, was too blocky and perfect to have not been crafted.

As Team Rho observed the colossus from the surviving treeline at the Northern edge of the crater, they seemed to be unable to look away from the large, white symbols plastered on its side. The strange characters, clearly some form of writing, made no literal sense to the five ninja. They had never seen anything like it. That did not, however, mean there was no significance. On the contrary, the very existence of the otherworldly language told the Black Ops team all they needed to know.

Tenzō carefully made his way to one of the nearby trees to his left before calling up it. "Mako."

The near instantaneous response came in the form of a kunoichi jumping down from the tree and landing in a crouch. She had ear-length golden brown hair and wore a porcelain deer mask over her face. "Yes, Captain?"

"Hokage-sama must be informed of our findings at once," he quickly explained as he held out his hand. Within it was a small, rolled-up piece of paper. "Take this message and return to the village."

Mako nodded her head, then took the paper note and gently placed it inside the breast pocket of her Jōnin vest. "Am I to be going alone?"

"No." The leader of Team Rho shook his head before bringing his hands together to create three hand seals. Tiger, dog, then snake. "Moku Bunshin no Jutsu." Not a moment later did wood start to seemingly grow out from his back, splitting off into four different directions. The 'branches' reached several yards before expanding into larger masses and begin taking shapes of people. When the pieces of wood detached from Tenzō's body, they shifted into more precise details and changed in both color and texture. Eventually, after only a few seconds, what looked to be four exact copies of the man were crouched behind the original. "One of my clones will escort you back."

The doppelganger farthest to the left stepped forward and walked to Mako's side. She stood up, nodded at the wood clone, then addressed the real man in front of her. "I won't let you down, Captain."

Tenzō was not given a chance to acknowledge her words before watching the Anbu speed off in the opposite direction of the object. Without a further wait, he turned his head to the side and spoke just loud enough for anyone within a couple dozen yards to hear him. "Akira. Nishi. Taro."

At his command, three additional figures ‒ two men and one woman ‒ came dashing into sight from the surrounding foliage. They all quietly stopped a few yards to the front of their leader and gave him a good look at their appearances. Akira, the first man on the left, had short, platinum blonde hair and a bear mask covering his face. The one standing in the middle, Taro, wore a hood over his head as the mask of a rabbit looked vigilantly at his captain. Finally, Team Rho's second kunoichi, Nishi, stood the farthest on the right. Her jet-black hair flowed halfway down her spine and the mask over her face adopted the design of an eagle. Just like Mako before them, all three wore the standard uniform of Konoha's Anbu Black Ops: black undershirt and pants, grey flak jacket and arm guards, spiked ninja sandals, and a Ninjatō trapped diagonally across the back.

"I'm assigning each of you a clone," the Anbu captain deadpanned, wasting as little time as possible. "Spread out along the border of the crater and set up a perimeter of observation posts. I want eyes on every piece of that object, but under no circumstances are you or anyone else allowed to approach it until we get word back from the Hokage. Understood?"

"Hai," was the response from his three teammates.

Tenzō nodded in satisfaction, then focused his attention on the single kunoichi. "Nishi. Once you find a good position, use your eyes and see if you can get a look on the inside ‒ if there's an inside."

She nodded her head slightly in understanding of her orders. "Roger."

He returned the gesture before turning around to face the metal behemoth resting in the earth about a hundred meters away. "Mako should return within the hour. Let's get a move on."

—

"Looks like your luck is still holding up after all." Cortana watched as Chief walked to the side of the upside-down Warthog, paying no mind to the irregular angle of the floor due to the _Dawn_ 's crashed position, and began examining the four-wheeled all-terrain-vehicle. The barrel of its armament, an M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun, was bent, rendered the belt-fed weapon useless. Otherwise, the M12 Force Application Vehicle seemed perfectly fine and usable, the coat of pale UNSC green nano-programable paint not even suffering a single scratch.

Seeing the essential lack of damage, the Spartan crouched down and grabbed hold of the cabin before pulling upwards and flipping the Warthog back over on its wheels. The monstrous strength provided by his augments and power armor made the effort relatively easy. He leaned inside the driver's side and quickly read over the fuel gauge on the instrument panel. "There's half of a tank left."

"It's more than we started with," the AI declared. "Let's keep looking around ‒ there's bound to be more equipment that survived."

Master Chief and Cortana had entered the _Dawn_ a little over a quarter of an hour earlier. Having immediately gone on the search for any surviving weapons and tech, their first destination had been the armory. Surprisingly, it had suffered little damage with most of the dozens of UNSC standard firearms still resting within their weapon racks. It was from there the Chief had obtained both the MA5C Assault Rifle and BR55HC Service Rifle currently attached to the magnetic clamps on his back, as well as the M6G Magnum pistol hanging from his right hip. The ship's hangar had been the next planned stop; the hopes of finding a usable vehicle, possibly even a Pelican, had been alluring. Which brought them to their current situation.

The Chief wordlessly stepped away from the FAV, then shifted his gaze to his surroundings. All around the seven-foot-tall Spartan II stood the remnants of the _Forward Unto Dawn_ 's hangar and its inventory. Once valuable and lethal military hardware was now splayed haphazardly across the bay. In the farthest portside corner, two D77H-TCI Pelican transports were piled over each other, the first missing a whole wing while the other seemed to have the entire cockpit ripped off. On the opposite side of the large, open room was a de-tracked M808B "Scorpion" Main Battle Tank flanked by a few trashed Mongoose quad bikes. The barrel of the MBT's M512 90mm Smoothbore Gun suffered from a sickly crack at about a third of its length, the rest of the gun tube beyond hanging off by a sliver of distorted metal. If there was an instance of the Chief's luck kicking in, however, it was the three intact Warthogs scattered throughout the hangar, including the one he had just finished inspecting. Though he had yet to closely investigate the other two, he was sure they would be just as well off as the first. The incident with the UNSC frigate _Daedalus_ from the early years of the Human-Covenant War came to mind.

Although their hopes for an aircraft had been ruthlessly crushed, at least the two castaways had a viable form of planetside navigation. Now their objective for the future was relatively simple and straightforward: find a way back to Earth.

"Well what do you know," Cortana suddenly said aloud, causing Master Chief to stop in place. "A Covenant supply cache." As the Spartan focused his vision, he confirmed the AI's claim. Directly ahead of him, illuminated by his helmet's dual headlamps, was a standard Covenant supply case laying in the middle of the floor about thirty yards away. The eight-foot-tall purple weapons crate had fallen on its side, the horn-like protrusions at each topside corner of the rectangular object facing him. "It must have been left behind during the assault on the Ark."

The Chief waited not a second to make his way toward the case. Once he was standing over it, he leaned down and pried open the egg-shaped lid covering the contents. Wherever the purple sheet of metal flew and landed after he tossed it to the side was not of his concern. What _did_ grab his attention was what his actions revealed. Resting inside the supply cache was none other than a small variety of Covenant weaponry ranging from Plasma Rifles to Carbines. Sitting just below the rack of weapons was a compartment filled with a set of four plasma grenades. The second he noticed this, the Spartan immediately reached down to take them. The small, purple balls of explosive death that could stick to anything like guerrilla glue were always a welcome addition to his arsenal. He could have cared less about the guns at that moment.

"Alright, I think we can leave further scavenging for later." Cortana's tone left no room for debate on the subject. "Time to head to the bridge and see if we can get the _Dawn_ 's power back online."

Chief, satisfied with his findings, stepped away from the supply crate before nodding his agreement. "And if we can't?" It was a purely objective question without a hint of pessimism. As always, he wanted to be prepared for any possible outcome.

When she answered, it was almost as if the Spartan could feel the smirk behind her voice. "Then you better be ready to be a grease monkey."

Master Chief was most certainly not amused with the implication.

—

Nishi had no doubt in her mind the metal behemoth was man-made. The alien characters and foreign banner featuring something akin to an eagle drawn on the surface provided more than enough evidence. How the object had even reached the heavens, let alone crashed down to the Earth, was a complete mystery. But whoever, or _what_ ever, had constructed the marvel must have possessed power comparable to Kami himself. It was just so _large_! What could have given such a colossus ‒ a metal one at that ‒ the ability to fly? It boggled the Anbu's mind to the point she almost felt the need to turn religious. 'Almost' being the keyword, but it went to show how much of an impact the situation had on her. She could only guess what was going through the heads of Team Rho's other members.

Through her eagle mask ‒ oh, the irony of that ‒ she continued to observe the object from her hidden position in the dense branches of a tree. She had reached this spot, located on the opposite side of the crater from Tenzō, only a few moments ago and had yet to see anything new worth reporting. Then again, Nishi had not begun using her most prized possession and weapon. That which likely made her this mission's most important asset. The Byakugan.

Without any further delays in its deployment, the kunoichi focused her chakra to her eyes, which would have normally been characterized by their white and featureless irises that lacked pupils. However, as chakra flowed through, the pupils started becoming more distinct and the veins in her temples bulged through the surrounding skin. The changes had transpired in less than a second and were hidden behind her mask. A piece of porcelain covering the ninja's face, though, did nothing to hinder the abilities now at her disposal. Such abilities included, but were not limited to, an expanded field-of-view that stretched around to nearly three hundred and sixty degrees. Additionally, her enhanced vision now had the capability to see through objects of nearly every kind of material. This dōjutsu, which belonged solely to the bloodline of her clan, now allowed her to look inside and learn everything there was to know about the mission's objective. It was the absolute perfect tool for the task at hand.

Or... it was supposed to be.

When Nishi attempted to look through the outer shell of the metal object, somewhere near its center, she was shocked to learn how badly distorted her vision became. It was as if her target had been crafted from a substance so dense even her Byakugan had trouble penetrating it. After putting in some extra effort and chakra, she eventually managed to pierce through and reveal what lay beneath. But that was as far as she went, for it only led her to encounter yet _another_ wall of the equally solid metal. The Anbu became even more confused when she noticed the two layers were separated by at least a half-dozen meters of dark, lightless space. She shifted her sight to the left and right before realizing it was a kind of hallway or corridor. There was no way to measure it exactly without something to compare it to, but it appeared to be plenty tall and wide enough to fit a handful of people standing side-by-side. All along the walls and ceiling were various signs of damage, whether that be loose plates of metal that had been torn off or what looked like electrical wires sticking out from the openings they left behind.

This new predicament both interested and aggravated her. On one hand, she discovered a few more details that would be vital for her coming report. On the other, however, she was at a standstill. Her vision had already become significantly blurred, making further attempts deeper inside what could have only been some sort of vessel problematic. She knew from the current distortion alone that trying to puncture farther would result in a picture completely clouded in darkness. And all of this didn't even take into account the lack of illumination within the interior. Simply put, there was no looking through anymore walls.

With a frustrated groan, she refocused her vision outside of the hull and began studying the entirety of its surface. From her viewpoint, she could see the object in all its glory. Its length spanned well over two hundred meters just as Tenzō had estimated and its widest point stretched about a hundred and fifty meters across. One end of the object, likely the part that first impacted with the Earth, was slightly dug into the ground, leaving the structure somewhat poking out of the dirt at approximately a twenty-degree angle. This meant the other end of the object was elevated off the ground by several dozen meters. Furthurmore, the metal behemoth leaned at a slant of about ten degrees. Even with this considered, however, Nishi still guessed the overall height of the object stood over a hundred meters. It was taller than the highest point of the Hokage tower. Figuring her estimations were satisfactory until exact measurements could be made later, she shifted her sight to the side of the colossus that had been slightly buried.

Initially, as she looked upon all the crippled metal, she assumed the damage before her eyes had all been caused by the crash. After all, the object did fall who knew how many kilometers from the sky. It was only safe to think the part that hit first would have been completely obliterated. However, after several long minutes, she could not seem to focus her attention somewhere else. There was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind; something just didn't feel right with what she was looking at. Then, as if getting hit in the head with a hammer, the realization dawned on her. The area of the hull she was currently focusing her vision on had not simply been destroyed from the impact with the Earth. The damage was too _clean_. It was almost as if the entire object had been... _cut_. Like a knife through butter.

Her eyes widened in shock at the meanings behind this. Whatever had damaged the massive vessel, if that is what it truly was, was not of natural origins. Which only begged the question: who, or _what_ , could have caused such destruction upon something that already appeared to be mighty? Nishi didn't have the answer, but one thing was for certain. The Hokage needed to be informed of this development as once. Before she had the opportunity to call for Tenzō's clone assigned to her, however, something else caught her attention. Something in one of the less focused areas of her vision. _Movement_. Responding immediately, she shifted the focus of her sight to the roof of the object where the hull formed into a relatively small box overlooking the top-half. Almost like a blocky hump. She then again went through the process of piercing through the dense metal with her vision before stopping in her tracks. What she saw once finished was a display completely different from the one she'd seen before.

Inside was what appeared to be an open space equal in size to a large living room. However, all around the room were these strange... they almost looked like computers. But if that was what they were, they were not any computers she had ever seen in her life. The ones she was familiar with each had just one big, bulky monitor and all were equipped with a mouse and keyboard, while these were otherwise embedded into metal tables and counters and numbered in the dozens. In the middle of the room stood one table larger than all the rest, featuring a solid computer screen that completely covered the top surface. Also, there was a complete lack of a mouse and keyboard at any of the stations where seats had been built. And that brought up another matter. The dozen or so chairs scattered around the room, all of which were bolted down to the floor, seemed to be perfectly able to fit an average sized man.

Then the kunoichi saw the very thing that had alerted her to begin with. And even with a vision blurred by the thickness of the room's encompassing metal, the sight completely and utterly shocked the Anbu. Standing inside the doorway of the only entrance in the back of the room was what she could only describe as a giant, olive green demon. It had two arms and two legs, and at first glance looked like a man. A closer inspection revealed it was anything but. The distortion did not yield her from seeing the single, gold eye resting over its face nor did it hide the lack of a mouth, nose and ears. The top of its head emitted two beams of a bright, white light, shining in whatever direction the thing faced. Nishi watched in near terror as the entity walked into the room, moving its head from left to right as if searching for something, and _dwarfed_ all the equipment it passed by. Assuming everything had been meant for use by normal sized people and then comparing it all to the figure, the entity must have stood about two meters tall. Possibly even taller.

After registering what her eyes had just witnessed, the Anbu did the first and only thing she could think of. She warned her team. "Captain!"

—

The _Forward Unto Dawn_ 's bridge was, for lack of a better term, a disaster. Tech and other various equipment that had either not been bolted down or had been ravaged by the ship's crash into the planet were scattered all over the place. Several number of terminals were either cracked open or outright gutted of their wiring and essential hardware. Shattered glass littered the floor, and the table in the center of the room normally housing a map of surrounding space was practically broken in two, an inch-wide fracture splitting it right down the middle. Even forgetting the fact half of the ship was missing, it would have taken a whole engineering crew just to repair everything in this room. "I'm positive the _Dawn_ 's bridge is never going to seeing action again, Chief."

The Spartan nodded in agreement as he attempted to interact with a console that appeared somewhat usable. He didn't receive any feedback, as expected, but it was always worth to make sure. "But that isn't why we're here."

"No, it isn't," Cortana confirmed in monotone. "Drop me into a control terminal that isn't too beat up ‒ hopefully I can still get the auxiliary power back up and running."

Master Chief quietly complied by walking up to the closest computer that wasn't worse for ware, then ejected the chip in the back of his helmet and inserted it inside one of the console's ports. He started becoming weary of the continued silence and darkness when nothing happened after several moments, but soon took notice of a low whirring sound echoing throughout the room. It steadily rose in volume before sparks began flying from the many exposed electrical wires and a few dim emergency lights lit up the bridge in a crimson red.

His AI's companion's blue holographic form erupted from the console not a moment later. "There's not much juice left, but it's something."

Turning off his headlamps, Chief looked around to get a gist of the room's condition before turning back to Cortana. "If you can restart the _Dawn_ 's SOS, how long can you keep it running?"

She put her hands on her hips and spent no more than a second in thought. "Assuming nothing else breaks down and we keep it running nonstop, it won't last more than seven weeks."

"That's it? Are you sure?"

He was expecting a simple and straightforward response from her, but instead the UNSC AI's hologram suddenly turned red before glitching erratically. When she spoke, it was loud, heated, and seemed to echo in an electronic static. " _Of co-course I'm sure!_ "

The Spartan showed his surprise with a slight twitch of his eyebrows and by taking barely a quarter of a step backwards. "Cortana?"

A fraction of a second passed before her figure returned to its normal blue-purple coloring. She instantly released an unnerved gasp as she regained control of herself and a frightened expression crossed her face. Her hand lifted to hold her forehead and her widened eyes intentionally avoided the Chief's concerned stare. "I... I'm sorry." She now spoke with a weak, almost fearful voice. "I didn't mean..."

"Cortana," he interrupted. Although speaking slow and calm, he still managed to display the tiniest hint of worry for his companion. "What was that?"

She refused to reply at first and kept her gaze planted on the floor. However, she looked back up to meet his after he continued to send a questioning stare. Chief had never been one to be impatient when it was needed and he could have waited hours if that was what it took to get answers. Fortunately for him, the minds of Artificial Intelligences could never possibly wait for such an extended period. For them, a single minute felt like hours. Unfortunately, Smart AIs such as Cortana often behaved as Human as the real deal. Her body language managed to forcefully relax enough to extinguish most of the visible panic when she finally answered. Most of it. "I'm sorry. It was a corrupted runtime. I'm fine now."

The Spartan knew she was lying. He was far from gullible and just because he wanted to hear a confirmation from her did not mean he didn't know what the problem was. Especially when they had just finished discussing it an hour ago. Cortana, one of the few remaining people who he considered a friend and comrade, was beginning to suffer from Rampancy. He didn't understand the exact intricacies of the condition, but he knew well enough what it meant. She was essentially 'dying' right before his eyes and this did anything but sit well with the Master Chief. Right now, there was only one solution: Get back to Earth and find Dr. Halsey. It was that or lose someone he was not willing to give up on.

 _Don't let her go_ , Johnson had said. _Don't, ever, let her go_.

"If we keep the signal active for twelve hours per day-"

"We can double the time by another seven weeks," she finished. When she was done speaking, her eyes settled on that orange-gold visor of his. Though the rest of her figure did not show it, the two orbs of blue light staring back at him told what she was unable to admit. She was worried. And scared. "We drifted in uncharted space for over four years, John. Do you really think another fourteen weeks will be enough for someone to find us?"

The drop of the Spartan's head was so minuscule, so unnoticeable, only she would've been able to pick it up. "We have to try."

It took a couple seconds, but Cortana eventually responded with a soft smile. Before she could say anything in return, however, something gave enough distraction to cause her gaze to focus behind him. "What's that?"

Chief turned around in response and attempted to find whatever she was looking at. Almost immediately he noticed the feint shine of a small object barely hidden beneath a yard-long plate of warped bulkhead. Moving to investigate, he reactivated his helmet's headlamps for better visibility before lifting the plate, tossing it to the side, and revealing something he had not expected to find. On the floor near his feet was a narrow piece of purple and silver metal just slightly longer than the width of his hand. Having instantly recognized the device, he picked it up without hesitation and motioned to show Cortana. She reacted to its reveal by placing both hands on her hips and twitching her lips in a half-smirk. "Seems Arbiter forgot one his toys."

Lo and behold, Master Chief was currently holding none other than a Type-1 Energy Weapon, otherwise known simply as an Energy Sword. A weapon that had been feared by UNSC Marines for decades, its curved hilt, shaped much like a flattened 'w', contained an advanced storage module and pair of magnetic field generators that ware capable of projecting two ionized blades of deadly plasma. For thousands of years even before the Human-Covenant War, the Sangheili prided the Energy Sword as the signature weapon of their people's nobility. Its blades were famed for their ability to cut through any known material and were even capable of blocking projectiles. Worthy of both disdain and praise whether it be on or off the battlefield, it was truly a weapon to be feared in skilled hands. Chief may not have been a master swordsmen, but he was certainly satisfied to have it in his possession. "We can use anything we can get."

"Don't get too excited, Chief," Cortana remarked sarcastically, her smirk growing slightly bigger. "You can thank the big Elite if we get back home."

The Spartan narrowed his eyes ever so slightly as he placed the Energy Sword's hilt on his left hip, opposite of his Magnum. "When we get home."

Any other person wouldn't have noticed the glare, but Cortana was more than experienced enough to see the little, near microscopic changes that sometimes cracked his normally cold demeanor. Master Chief very rarely ever showed emotions, but when he did it was in the subtlest of gestures and movements that often took an AI or fellow Spartan to notice them. " _When_ we get home," she corrected, albeit a bit halfheartedly, before moving on. "I finished rebooting the _Dawn_ 's surviving comm dish and have it operating at eighty-four percent efficiency. It's ready to begin transmitting the SOS at your command, Chief."

He simply gave one of his usual, no-nonsense responses. "Do it."

"Done," she declared with a faint smile. On cue, one of the terminals at the front of the bridge began repeating the words of the distress call, giving evidence to the beacon's restart.

 _Mayday. Mayday. Mayday.  
_ _This is UNSC FFG-201 Forward Unto Dawn, requesting immediate evac.  
_ _Survivors aboard.  
_ _Prioritization Code Victor-Zero-Five dash Three dash Sierra-Zero-One-One-Seven._

—

"What in Kami's name are you going on about?!" Though his bear mask kept Akira's face hidden, it was not hard to picture the incredulous scowl he wore beneath it and the glare aimed at Nishi. "A giant, two-meter-tall, one-eyed demon? That also happens to have its entire body colored green? Do you even hear what you're saying?!"

"I know what I saw," the eagle-masked kunoichi shot back maliciously. "My Byakugan doesn't lie!"

Akira crossed his arms with a snort. "Forgive me if I don't believe your idea of a metal ship that could fly and is home to a giant, green demon! And if those eyes of yours are so perfect, why the hell couldn't you look deeper inside, huh?"

Nishi lightly gasped at the attack on her clan's dōjutsu before giving her furious retort. "I already told you! If the material is too dense, my vision becomes distorted! They can't see through everything!"

"But you said it yourself," he declared with another snort. "Your vision only went through a wall less than a meter thick before it started going bad. There's no way that crap is that dense, so it has to be your eyes!"

That was the last straw for the female Anbu. With a vicious growl highly uncharacteristic of her family, she reached for her kunai pouch and pulled out one of the blades halfway. Her Byakugan activated at the same time as well. "Another word about my clan's eyes..."

Her teammate was completely taken aback by the kunoichi's threat and his head snapped slightly back on instinct, but otherwise he held his ground. In fact, he seemed to grow angrier as his hand went for his own weapon pack. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Enough!" Both Anbu jerked back at the booming voice that echoed over them. When they turned to face its origin, they saw a crossed-armed and obviously very angry Tenzō standing above in the branches of the nearest tree. Seeing them freeze at the sight of him, he went on to drop to the ground with an aura of rancid hostility. "You two are supposed to be Anbu! So please, tell me why I'm seeing the two of you bicker like a couple of Genin fresh out of the Academy?" It was then he pointed to the kunai in Nishi's hand. "And why you would draw a weapon on your comrade?!" The eagle-faced ninja quickly returned her blade to her pouch, but otherwise remained quiet as her gaze shifted to the dirt. Akira followed similarly. Not getting a response from the two, however, only served to infuriate Tenzō more. "Need I remind you two..." His left hand raised to his cat mask and slowly, millimeter by millimeter, began to slide it to the side. "... of the consequences."

The sight of this action caused both subordinate Anbu to jump back in fear and collectively voice their answer. "No, Captain!"

"We need not a reminder," Akira claimed franticly.

Tenzō ceased the movement of his hand, but continued to keep it in place. "Do you understand the errors of what you've done?"

"Hai," they both said, loud and clear.

"Are you sure?" The Anbu captain slid his mask another centimeter to emphasis his point.

"Hai! We understand, Captain!"

As if at the flick of a switch, Tenzō suddenly rearranged his mask back in place and dropped his hand before adopting an eerily good-natured tone. "Good to hear." He paid no mind to the fact his abrupt change in demeanor caused his two subordinates to sweatdrop. "Now I believe you have something to report, Nishi?" Of course, he already knew the gist of it, but it never hurt to go over everything again. Especially with the news she was bringing.

The kunoichi nervously nodded, then immediately began explaining the details of the previous observation done with her Byakugan. For five minutes, she told of the dense metal that seemed to greatly hinder the abilities of her eyes, the way the object appeared to be cut clean on one end by some unknown force, and the strange room filled with alien computers sitting at the top of the behemoth. However, what she spent the most time detailing was the final thing she saw. The giant, green 'demon' that had no face other than its one gold-colored eye. When she finished her recollection of events, she had fully expected the possibility of her team captain ridiculing her much like Akira had earlier. However, Tenzō instead did the complete opposite. He took her entire report completely seriously and remained in a deep, quiet thought even after she had finished. Eventually, after a full minute, he released a soft sigh before addressing Nishi. "How sure are you that damage isn't natural?"

The female Anbu waited only a few thoughtful seconds before she replied. "I think I'm pretty sure."

He shook his head in dissatisfaction. "This information is too critical for halfway answers. You need to tell me you are one hundred percent sure, because we can't risk dedicating to it if you're not."

Even through the porcelain mask, Nishi somehow managed to lock gazes with Tenzō. After several long moments that felt like an eternity, she finally gave a nod. "I'm sure, Captain."

He kept silently observing her for several more moments before giving his own slow nod of the head and crossing his arms. "Alright. So what else do we know about the object itself?"

Akira traded glances with the kunoichi beside him, then shrugged. "Not much, other than it's somehow made of a metal dense enough to disrupt the Byakugan, it fell from the sky, and it has strange writing painted on the sides."

"All correct except for one," Tenzō said matter-of-factly. "It's not all made of metal." The bear-masked ninja merely motioned to peer at him questioningly, while the eagle-masked woman appeared to understand where the captain's train of thought was leading. She was about to speak like she knew what he was going to say, but her team leader stopped her early with a dismissing raised hand. "Nishi told us herself she saw electrical wires all throughout the interior of the object. Then there was the heavily damaged room with the computers. The only explanation that makes sense is the object was once a powered structure."

Nishi didn't seem nearly as disturbed about the revelation as her teammate, which made sense considering she found the discoveries leading up to it. She had likely come up with a similar hypothesis. Akira, meanwhile, looked very much flabbergasted. "Captain, can you really make such a radical assumption based on what she _thought_ she saw?"

Tenzō instantly shot a bitter glare at the man. "I will _not_ have myself or a subordinate of mine second-guessed by one of our teammates. Am I _clear_?"

The bear-masked Anbu's condescending tone and attitude disappeared as he dropped his head and nodded. "Hai, Captain. Apologies."

Without acknowledging Akira's remark any further, Team Rho's leader went on to readdress both Anbu. "Now that we're starting to get an idea of what this thing is, all we're left with is the-"

"Captain," came the interruption, but not from the ninja standing in front of him. Instead, the captain lifted his gaze to the branches of a tree about ten meters away. Standing on one of the lower, but longer wooden limbs was the fourth team member, Taro, adorning his rabbit mask. He was the only one among the group who wore a hood over his head, adding to the seemingly cold and emotionless aura he gave off, even for Anbu standards. His words were in monotone as he stared indifferently at the small gathering. "My Kikaichū are stirring. Something unknown is happening with the object."

Hearing this put the ninja below him on full alert, with Nishi activating her Byakugan as an immediate response. Tenzō dashed about twenty or so meters away to a bush at the closest edge of the crater and crouched behind it. He raised his hand to the side of his head and began taking advantage of one his Wood Release's most strategic capabilities. Communicating with his clones. "See anything?"

" _Negative_ ," was the response from his three clones scattered around the impact site. Their voices, identical to his own, sounded as if they came from his head like what one might think of telepathy.

Akira, the only member of Team Rho who did not possess any sort of unique reconnaissance ability, followed his leader to the bush before crouching low to the ground a couple meters to the right. "What's the word?"

"Nothing," Tenzō declared disappointingly. "My clones aren't seeing anything new, but if Taro says something's wrong..." He let the statement hang, knowing the man at his side would understand.

Nishi's slightly panicked voice from behind soon grabbed their attention. "Captain!"

"What do you see?" The leading Anbu's question was stern and direct as he turned to look at her. She ran up towards him and stopped about five meters away. He kept his minor concern in check and ignored the tone of her voice for the moment.

"Inside..." She paused as she fumbled with the words. "The interior of the object... it's all red!"

Tenzō became confused when he tried to process what she said. _Red?_ That didn't sound right. Was she seeing blood? Bodies? Or was there something going wrong with her eyes? "What do you mean?"

Nishi took a deep breath to attempt calming herself down and lightly shook her head, though the later gesture was due to disbelief rather than dismissal. "When I looked inside before, everything was dark. But now there's these... red lights everywhere. And..." She suddenly gasped and her hand subconsciously raised to her chest. "The demon!"

The Anbu captain shifted closer to her, then placed his hands on her shoulders. "Look at me, Nishi. _Focus_." He was not speaking with an uncaring and demanding voice. Instead, he was trying to share his strength and composure through it. "Are you watching it right now?"

The kunoichi looked up into his cat mask and hesitated no more than a second. "I was... but now it's gone. It moved too deep inside."

Tenzō returned his hands to his side, feeling she was no longer in need of the support. "Can you tell me what it looked like?"

"The same as before," she said with a small nod. "It's entire body was green and it had no face. No mouth, ears, nose, not even hair on its head. Only one big, golden eye." She shuttered at the memory. "And it was _giant_. It must have been at least two meters tall, and had to duck when it walked through a doorway."

He made sure she saw him nod as he continued listening, wordlessly telling her he believed what she said. "You said it walked. I'm assuming it had two legs?" She nodded a 'yes' in return. "What about the rest of its body? Did it have two arms? Five fingers in each hand?"

"Yes. It looks like a normal man at first, but then you see the eye and the color of its skin-" She didn't finish, however, when her head abruptly turned to the side. "Someone's coming!"

Tenzō reacted by reaching into his weapon pouch and pulling out a kunai in the blink of an eye. "Who?"

She simply turned around and looked back into the deep woodlands of the Land of Fire. Curiously, however, she did not tense up in a defensive manner. "Konoha."

—

"Are you sure about this?" Master Chief was sitting in the driver's seat of the Warthog they had acquired earlier as he asked the question to his AI companion. He did not have doubts or a lingering worry in his voice. He simply wanted to be sure the actions the two were about to undertake were what she wanted.

"We're not going to learn anything staying inside the _Dawn_ , Chief. The more we know, the better our odds."

The Spartan wasn't denying that fact. He fully understood the necessity of exploring the areas of land surrounding the crash site, whether it be for basic supplies such as food and water or be it scouting for any... natives. It was highly unlikely, but if there was a population of sentient beings on this world, the first course of action would be to find out if they even exist. Next would be to learn if they are potentially hostile. And then if that happens to be case, the last step would be to prepare for conflict and possibly neutralize the threat. There was no room for taking needless chances in an unknown ecosystem. "I just thought it might be too soon."

Cortana sighed. "There isn't much of the ship left to be salvaged. The fusion reactor seems to be functional, but it's been completely cut off from the electrical grid. And then even if we do get it connected and pumping power, there's nothing to put it to good use towards besides the beacon. The slipspace drive is out of commission and don't even get me started on the weapon-"

Master Chief realized the AI was beginning to lose track of her thoughts and attempted to rectify that immediately. "Cortana..."

"Yes," she asked a bit too innocently, cutting herself off in the process. When she was met with nothing but the motionlessness silence of the Spartan, her attitude seemed to gloom slightly. "Sorry... back to the point, we have better chances at progress if we go outside and explore for a while ‒ who knows what we'll find that we don't know. If the problem with the _Dawn_ 's fusion reactor is fixable, then it shouldn't take any longer than a week to repair it. That gives us more than enough time before the auxiliary power is depleted."

He had to admit, she made a convincing argument. Although he would have liked acquiring the near limitless supply of power the reactor could have provided, allowing the distress signal to play all throughout the day and night, it was not a current necessity. Getting a handle on the environment they would be surviving in for the foreseeable future, on the other hand, was. Chief gave a nod as both an acknowledgement and sign of surrender in the dispute, then reached over to the passenger seat and picked up a small, remote-like device. Above the zero-to-nine number pad on the front side rested two button guards, one red and the other green, while on the top end stood a half-foot-tall black antenna. "Ready?"

"How much C-12 did you use?"

"One Damage Pack," he admitted nonchalantly. C-12, or Composition C-12, was a common plastic explosive in the UNSC military usually used for combat demolitions. A successor to Composition B, an explosive developed during Humanity's Second World War, C-12 was an incredibly powerful substance. Just one four-inches-cubed block could level a five-story building, while two medium-sized packages called Damage Packs were capable of burning through three meters of the Titanium-A armor used in starship hulls. It was also malleable enough to be molded into any shape required and stick to nearly every surface, much like its 21st century ancestor C-4. However, it was highly volatile unlike C-4 and its more stable relative, C-7. Due to this, its combat applications were often restricted to Special Forces, such as ODSTs and Spartans.

"That should be more than enough." The _Forward Unto Dawn_ 's armor thickness averaged out at sixty centimeters, so one C-12 Damage Pack was perfectly able to blow a hole big enough to fit a Warthog. As to why they couldn't just use the hangar doors... "It's a pity we couldn't get the doors working, though. They might've been fixed given enough time, but..." She watched Chief raise the device in his hand, a remote detonator connected to the Damage Pack plastered on the bay door about fifty yards away, and lift the red button guard with his thumb. "You always had a knack for blowing things up."

John-117's response was simple. He pushed the button and did what he did best: make something explode.

—

"Kakashi Hatake," Tenzō said aloud as he watched the silver-haired man approach from the trees. The Jōnin was wearing the standard woodland-green flak jacket of Konoha with his usual navy blue pants and long-sleeved shirt underneath. The lower half of his face was covered by a mask while his left eye was hidden beneath his forehead protector, both articles of clothing being the same color as the rest. His kunai pouch was strapped to his right thigh, while white bindings were wrapped around his ankles and shins. Currently, his visible right eye was closed in a genuine eye-smile. "I wasn't expecting the Copy Cat ninja to be our backup."

"Tenzō. Fancy meeting you here," Kakashi greeted a bit cheerfully. However, not a moment later did his eye open in a narrow expression of cold seriousness. "Hokage-sama felt the need to do so after receiving a rather interesting report." He walked passed the Anbu captain and stopped near the truck of a tree at the very edge of the crater, his gaze never leaving the massive object farther ahead. "What can you tell me about this thing, other than what Mako already told us?"

The leader of Team Rho came up to his side before speaking. "The short answer? Something out of this world, and it might not be an exaggeration." The silver-haired ninja raised a curious eyebrow to this, but allowed the man to continue speaking. "The long story is, well... complicated. One thing we know for absolute sure is the outer shell consists of a highly dense metal. It heavily distorts a Byakugan after only several dozen centimeters of penetration."

Kakashi's hand raised upward and began rubbing his chin. "That material can't be natural."

"Which adds to the idea of it being an artificial structure of some kind," he agreed. "But that isn't even the gist of it." He pointed to a part of the object that appeared to be slightly buried into the ground. "That end there? Nishi claims that the damage looks too clean, like it wasn't caused by the impact. In her own words, it looks like an entire section was simply... _cut_ _off_."

This new information caused the Jōnin's eyes to widen as he stared at the Anbu in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

Tenzō shrugged. "No idea. If that metal is as dense as we believe, it must be incredibly durable. And for a hundred-foot-tall slab of it to be sliced like a stick of butter?" He shook his head in a mix of both awe and confusion. "I don't want to know what did that damage."

Kakashi's head tilted down as he closed his eye and released a long, deep breath. "That's a lot to take in. Even harder to believe."

"You haven't heard the worst part," the Anbu claimed, once again making the silver-haired ninja's eye go wide. A reply wasn't made, though, so he explained further. "About ten minutes before you arrived, Nishi said she saw... something, inside. Neither of us are sure what it is, but she wouldn't stop calling it a _demon_. Said it stood two meters tall, had one gold eye, and a completely green body ‒ frightened her good whatever she saw."

The description provided made Kakashi more than a little skeptical. However, the sheer fact that something managed to so well terrify an experienced Anbu agent, and someone of the famed Hyuuga clan at that, shook him up good. It wasn't every day you saw such ninja display raw emotions like fear. Things like anger and shock? Yes. But real, unadulterated fear? It was hard to imagine, even for a veteran shinobi and ex-Anbu such as himself. He turned his eye to look at the leader of Team Rho and opened his mouth to speak, but he was unable to say the first word. For at that moment, a large fireball chose to erupt from the back end of the metal colossus.

—

Master Chief stepped on the gas pedal as soon as the Warthog's engine roared to life, sending the vehicle from zero to sixty miles-per-hour in a little under four seconds. Nothing more than lingering particles and smoke in the air stood in the way between it and the hangar bay's brand new opening. It was a straight run and if either the Spartan or Cortana were normal Humans, they wouldn't have realized they were outside and falling through the air until they were already halfway to the ground. Their undeniably superior reaction times, however, denied them of that thrill. Chief was already preparing for the drop the second they flew passed the opening in the _Dawn_ 's armor, shifting his weight backwards to balance out the front-heavy transport. The Warthog's rear wheels only barely hit the dirt first as it touched down.

Now back on somewhat solid ground, with the terrain beneath being morphed and ragged from the ship's crash into the planet, the Spartan lifted his foot off the gas and placed it on the brake. The FAV's momentum dragged it onward for only about a dozen meters before it skidded to a halt. When the dust settled, Cortana was the first to speak her mind. "That was fun." There was a clear hint of sarcasm in her voice. "But it wasn't as death-defying as falling from orbit."

"I thought you liked crazy," Chief retorted, recalling what she had said four years ago before they shot themselves out of Cairo Station's airlock above Earth.

She seemed to remember that bit of dialogue as well. "Only when you have a really big bomb aimed at a Covenant assault carrier."

He gave a simple grunt in response. It wasn't exactly good times when that occurred, but it was nonetheless a fond memory. It was simpler then; fight the enemy, complete the mission, win the war. Johnson and Miranda Keyes were still alive, too. Now they were stranded on an uncharted planet and trying to find a way back to Earth in a race against time. Survival in the wilderness was easy for the Spartan, as it wasn't something he hadn't trained for and experienced in the past. However, Cortana's slow descent into rampancy changed everything. They could not afford to stay here for too long.

Master Chief quickly recomposed his thoughts, then was just about to step back on the gas when something tripped off the motion tracking sensor in his helmet. Noticing this instantly kicked in his combat instincts and he was already outside of the Warthog with his assault rifle raised before more than two seconds passed. His Heads-Up Display, or HUD, was showing the blip to be at his three o' clock and a little less than one hundred meters away ‒ the sensor's maximum range. Using the vehicle as cover, he crouched just low enough where only his head and the MA5C in his hands remained visible. What he saw when his eyes focused on the detected target, however, was enough to confuse even him.

Standing out there in the field created by the _Dawn_ 's impact crater was a man, wearing what looked like a green flak jacket and navy blue clothing underneath. His spiky, silver hair flowed gently in the breeze and, though most of his face was hidden by a piece of cloth and a kind of headband, his dark grey eye said he was undoubtedly Human. Even Cortana sounded shocked. "Now this was unexpected..."

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 _ **Author's Note #2:** If you're reading this story, then I'd like to think you're either a gamer or just a really big fan of _ Halo _and/or_ Naruto _. If it happens to be the former, then I'd like to invite you and everyone else who enjoys gaming on PC to my Discord server, 'DeadlyRecon's Hub'! Anyone who enjoys Multiplayer games, whether it be Battlefield, DayZ, Rust, ARMA, CS:GO, or so on, is welcome to join! I also use the server to meet and communicate with my Beta Reader(s), so if you'd like to join us, then you're more than welcome to as long as you meet this site's requirements for Beta. If you want to receive an invitation, type up a review and let me know so I can PM you the Instant Invite link. That's it for now, and thank you for reading my latest chapter!_

 _From this point on, I'd also like to make a special thanks to my new Beta Reader, Daniel. He has been, and will continue to be, incredibly helpful with anything_ Halo _-related. He's been great so far, and hopefully he'll manage to fend off any future Writer's Block I might get hehe xD_


	4. First Contact

_**Disclaimer:** Still down own either_ Halo _or_ Naruto _. Guess I better keep dreaming..._

* * *

 **First Contact**

The Land of Fire had always been a country true to its name. For as long as anyone cared to remember, the climate within its domain could have easily been described by a single word: _hot_. Though the forests were not as dry as the deserts in the Land of Wind nor as humid as the islands in the Land of Mist, the citizens of the nation were no strangers to temperatures exceeding 38° Centigrade. Heatstroke and dehydration were common occurrences among the poorer populations. 'Winters' were more comparable to rainy seasons with snowfall being an extreme rarity, while Summers were expected to bring a good share of heat waves.

Kakashi Hatake had found himself right in the middle of such a heat wave. The mid-afternoon sun sitting directly above was brighter and more potent than was to be expected of a normal Summer day. It caused him to sweat profusely, soaking his face mask and forehead protector to uncomfortable levels. His usually sleek and vibrant silver hair was now damp and grimy, and he could feel his clothes sticking to the surface of his skin in numerous places. To make these matters worse, he couldn't even bask in the shade provided by the forest's natural canopy. Instead, he was forced to endure the pure power of the sun's rays as he stood in the impact crater of an otherworldly construct. His hand subconsciously reached for the Icha Icha novel poking out from his back pocket; he sourly realized the book's material was suffering under present conditions.

All in all, Kakashi was not in the best of moods. And as he continued to stare at the target of his attention, he knew in all certainty today was going to be far from among the best.

For the last few minutes, all it did was stare back with its large, orange-gold eye. The... being had not moved a centimeter. It was if it was watching the Jōnin. _Studying_ him. Vigilant of every action and movement from his breathing chest to the hand wiping sweat from his forehead. Vaguely reminiscent of a Samurai of the Land of Iron, it was covered head-to-toe in an outlandish olive-green armor. While it hid behind the strange carriage, which also seemed to be forged with the green metal and shockingly needed neither a horse or mule to operate, its two hands held what looked to be little more than a thin, well-crafted metallic slab. Though Kakashi could not be sure of what the object exactly was, the way in which the being carried and aimed it at him did all but deny its nature and purpose.

 _A weapon._

The question, however, remained. What kind of weapon was it? Although it didn't resemble anything the ninja had ever seen, why did it still give him a sense of uneasiness? Why did it feel so _lethal_ , even though the ninja had never seen anything like it? Perhaps it had something to do with how it was held by its owner. How the being, who appeared to be equipped for battle if the armor was any indication, seemed to have complete faith in its ability to defend itself with such a tool. Sure, Kakashi has seen and dealt with aplenty fools overconfident in their weapons and strength, but the fact this was a complete unknown with everything from the contact to the weaponry was setting off a range of alarm bells in his head.

Unfortunately, he was never able to continue that train of thought, because what the being did next was as surprising as its existence. It spoke; the voice emitted deep, gravelly, and loud enough to cross the distance.

" _Identify yourself._ "

The language, however, came as a total loss to the Jōnin as it was one he had never heard before. Using silence to translate his inability to understand, he waited until the being spoke again. But this time it sounded... different.

" _Shìbié zìjǐ._ "

Kakashi, seeing how it was attempting to communicate, took a slow step forward. Only for the being to nudge the metal in its hands in a threatening fashion. Seeing this made him return to his original spot with another step backwards before waiting for the armored individual to speak again. It continued like this for the next several moments, with it saying an intangible phrase and the ninja providing a wordless response.

" _Identifícate._ "

" _Назовите себя._ "

" _Identifizieren sie sich._ "

"Identify yourself."

The Konoha-nin's single visible eye, which had narrowed earlier in an investigatory manner, now widened as the latest set of words jarred him. They weren't just some incomprehensible jargon. No, this time they were spoken in the perfectly understandable universal language of the known world, Ninja Standard. Albeit thickly accented.

When Kakashi had moved to confront the being, he had not once expected proper communication to be established. His original intention had simply been to make his presence seen and hopefully do it in a non-threatening fashion. All things considered so far, the being was clearly not an associate of any known nations or hidden villages. It made logical sense it wouldn't have been able to speak the same language. But now there it was, having just asked ‒ more like demanded ‒ the Copy Cat Ninja provide his identity. He didn't know whether to be thrilled or terrified for having found this unimaginable connection, but he did understand what his next action needed to be. He lifted his hand in the air like how one might do to greet another and slowly began walking forward before the being could continue its dialogue. Keeping his open palm in the air, he managed to reach about half the distance before he was stopped by another threatening nudge of the metal plank. "My name is Kakashi Hatake, and I am a Jōnin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Mind if I ask who you are?"

—

It was safe to say finding Humans living on this planet was among the last things Chief had considered. From the moment of arrival to now, he and Cortana had not found a single shred of evidence indicating the inhabitance of a space-faring race, let alone Humanity. Granted, it could have been argued their stay on-world was just beginning, but there were always certain hints and traces of a planet's denizens. For example, there might have been civilian radio communications, GPS signals provided by orbiting satellites, or indecipherable-but-detectible alien transmissions in the case of a Covenant presence. The lack of any of these signs pointing to the existence of a technologically advanced civilization on this world made the improbability of finding anyone noteworthy quite clear. Yet there the Spartan was, looking at an irrefutably Human man staring right back at about fifty yards away. The silver hair was a strange feature and the vest reminiscent of an early 21st century flak jacket was odd, but there was no doubt about _what_ he was.

However, the knowledge of Human-life existing on this planet did little to ease Master Chief. With what he knew of the situation, it was blatantly obvious the world and its population was not under UNSC control. This meant the people here were either Insurrectionists or citizens of a _very_ remote colony outside the jurisdiction of UNSC space. Neither conclusion encouraged trust for the unknown man encountered, but at the very least bullets hadn't started flying. Yet.

The first thing Chief did after assessing the new contact was attempt to establish basic communication and identify the individual. As standard military protocol dictated be done when met with an unidentifiable Human faction or force, he went on to continuously repeat the simple phrase, "identify yourself," each time in a different language. The purpose for doing so was simple: eventually he would say something the other party understood.

Although English had become the most common tongue in the UNSC, much of Humanity was still divided by a large and diverse language barrier. Languages such as Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Russian, German, and Japanese, which were among the most influential on both Earth and her colonies, all still had a significant number of speakers even in the mid-26th century. To solve the issue with battlefield communications, UNSC Navy officers were required to know how to read and write English, while Marine Corps and ODST units were assigned 'Language Specialists'. Spartan-IIs, like John-117, were all trained and educated in the basic use and understanding of the most-spoken languages.

It was not until Chief had made it to Japanese before he got a real reaction. Though the man in the distance had attempted to step forward after the repeat in Chinese, no sign had been given to assume the phrase was understood, so a warning was made with an exaggerated motion of raising the Assault Rifle higher. However, this time the man decided to raise his hand instead. This indicated the phrase was indeed relayed properly while also saying it was no longer necessary to continue speaking. Considering this and the distance between the two of them, the man was given permission to cross halfway before receiving another warning to not approach any further. It was then that a vocal response was finally received in a formal, yet thick and unfamiliar Japanese dialect. " _My name is Kakashi Hatake, and I am a Jōnin of Konohagakure No Sato. Mind if I ask who you are?_ "

"Do you know anything of a Konohagakure No Sato," Master Chief asked quietly in English. The question was not for the man, but the AI currently in his head.

"Translated literally, it means 'Village Hidden by Tree Leaves.' And there aren't any references to a place with that name in my database." Cortana had a tad bit of both curiosity and confusion in her voice as she answered. "Either its existence was wiped from the records in my storage, or it was never there in the first place."

This puzzled the Spartan some as well. "Don't you have Omega-grade security clearance?"

"Yes. I should have knowledge of every colonized planet and ONI black site from Earth to the edge of Human-controlled space."

"We have been gone for over four years," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Exactly. There might be locations I don't know about, but that's not what's bothering me."

A couple seconds passed before Chief realized his companion wasn't going to elaborate on her statement. "What _is_?"

She replied only after a moment of hesitation, which equaled to quite some time for her computer of a brain. "I can't really answer that until we learn more about this 'village.' You should probably start chatting with our new friend." Her tone then took on a mildly humored attitude. "Looks like he's getting impatient."

True enough, the silver-haired man had crossed his arms and narrowed his eye. Seeing as how the they both communicated in the same language, it was only natural the stranger would have expected a return greeting after providing his identity. Not wasting anymore time, the supersoldier raised his volume and spoke out loud in Japanese once again. " _Spartan-117,_ _United Nations Space Command._ "

—

Kakashi had not a single clue what a 'Spartan' was. The only assumption he could make was 'Spartan-117' was either a rank or designation of some kind. It couldn't possibly be a name if it had numbers in it. Then there was this 'United Nations Space Command,' which must have been whatever organization or faction the armored humanoid was affiliated with. He had never heard of it before, but the term 'Space Command' alone was most certainly intriguing, if a little daunting. Did it imply whatever institution or government this being came from had the ability to reach beyond the heavens into outer space? It was an interesting, yet frightening prospect to consider.

The Copy Cat Ninja was not an astronomer or any kind of scientist for that matter. However, that didn't mean he did not have a basic understanding of what was relatively common knowledge. Scientific advancements had long ago reached the point where the general population learned of some basic facts about the world they lived in. For example, the Earth was a spherical 'planet' that revolved around the Sun, which rested in the center of what had been called the Solar System. Out of a total of nine planets, Earth was the third farthest from the Sun followed by Natsuhiboshi as the fourth. Passed the sky, or atmosphere, in the areas between planets was 'outer space', a dark void empty of all matter and incapable of sustaining life. Because of these known truths, Kakashi had a good idea how large and overwhelming the discovery of a space-traveling people would be.

Of course, it was all still just a farfetched interpretation. It was not possible to draw any solid conclusions on the current situation without some concrete explanations, even if the silver-haired ninja would have trouble understanding them. One could argue the evidence was right in front of his face in the form of the armored being and metal object that fell from the sky. However, the truth was no one had any real idea what any of it _was_ , let alone what it meant. So in actuality, that was the reason he was out there, attempting to communicate with an unknown entity equipped with unknown weaponry and technology. Someone, or something, needed to explain what was going one, and who else to do so than the very being that emerged from the middle of it all. Besides, if his assumptions about its origins were true and it did come from outer space, it likely wasn't a good idea to make an enemy of it. The best thing to do at that point was continue talking to it and maybe learn if it held any allegiances. "If you don't mind me asking, is Spartan-117 you're name?"

The following reply was short, cold, and instantaneous. "No."

Just as he thought. "Is it a rank or designation?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me your real name, then?"

"No."

Kakashi slightly narrowed his eye and took the opportunity to finally return his arms to his side. "Why not?"

All the while as it spoke, the being never budged a centimeter. It remained like a motionless statue, keeping its gaze and metal weapon trained on the Konoha-nin at all times. It was a sign of true military discipline. "Classified information."

 _What makes his name valuable enough to be kept a secret_ , his thoughts questioned. _Unless..._ The Jōnin paused his wandering mind as he wiped away another drop of sweat threatening to irritate his eye. He would have his answer soon enough. "Under who's or what's authority is your name Classified?"

"Office of Naval Intelligence."

"What exactly is this Office of Naval Intelligence?"

For the first time since the beginning of the conversation, the armored being hesitated to reply. It paused as if internally debating how to respond before eventually speaking a couple moments later. "The Office of Naval Intelligence is the service branch of the United Nations Space Command Navy responsible for espionage and counter-espionage."

Kakashi's eye widened a bit at the given answer. If what he figured was correct, this Office of Naval Intelligence was a military organization similar in role to Anbu Black Ops or the Toad Sannin's spy network. And if that was the case, it meant the being he was talking to could only be one of two things: a spy, or a highly skilled and lethal agent. Considering the bulky, green armor, it was likely the later. He didn't show it on the outside, but at that moment the Copy Cat Ninja began wondering if making contact without aid had been the best decision. "What are you?"

"... Elaborate."

"What is your occupation?"

Th armored being once again hesitated for several seconds before answering, but otherwise showed no other sign of discomfort with the question. "I am a solider."

For thousands of years, the world as people knew it had been engulfed in an era known as the Shinobi Age. It was a time when the military power of nations and factions was determined by the strength and number of their ninja ‒ deadly men and women specialized in the arts of Chakra. Unlike mere soldiers, who were often poorly trained civilians enlisted or drafted by their governments for battle, ninja were more than just simple tools of war. They were assassins, saboteurs, mercenaries... sometimes bodyguards. But above all else, they were _warriors_. Artists of their profession. No others, besides possibly the Samurai of the Land of Iron, matched them in discipline and lethality. So, for someone or something in the armored being's position to claim they were no more than a common soldier ‒ not a ninja, spy, or even a Samurai, but a _soldier_ ‒ was near unthinkable.

In the face of such a conundrum, Kakashi could only investigate and question further. "As a soldier, what is your objective?"

The being waited only a second to answer. "To defend Humanity, no matter the cost."

—

The current situation was beyond unsatisfactory. In fact, Tenzō would go as far to describe it as a tactical nightmare. The moment Kakashi Hatake had decided to uncharacteristically jump the gun and approach the green giant was the very moment they had lost their advantage. Everything regarding this armored being was a complete unknown, from its abilities and weapons to its backstory and very existence. When the silver-haired ninja decided to expose himself in the name of a peaceful communique, he might as well have made himself a hostage. The fact no one could predict what the armored being's intentions or capabilities were made approaching it hazardous. It was made even worse because the Copy Cat Ninja should have known better. Whatever possessed the man to act so recklessly, especially after witnessing the giant ride a metal, horseless carriage out from an explosive fireball, was beyond the Anbu captain's understanding. Now, as consequence, he had to watch his comrade stand at the mercy of a being that was showing no indication of being a friendly sort.

Tenzō wasn't helpless, but he was at a frustrating disadvantage in terms of information and location. It was true there was only one of that... whatever it was, and there were thirteen of them if he included Kakashi and the others he had brought along. However, the numerical superiority was made void by the silver-haired ninja's position far out from the treeline in the crater and, more importantly, the abilities of the green being that continued to be a mystery. The reality of the situation was, if the cat-masked Anbu and his allies attempted to make any kind of aggressive move, they wouldn't be able to guarantee Hatake's safety. It was not to say the man could not defend himself; far from it. But Tenzō simply wasn't going to risk his fellow ninja's life without enough knowledge on the giant and the apparent weapon it was carrying in its hands. Considering the possibility that it was a member of a people that could fly through the skies in giant metal ships, who knew what it possessed. Technologically or otherwise.

"Kakashi went and got himself stuck in a tricky spot," stated the oddly confident voice of a man behind him.

The Anbu captain shifted further behind the tree he had been using as cover and turned around to acknowledge the speaker. Only for shiny, jet black hair cut in a bowl style, green spandex of a jumpsuit, and remarkably thick, bushy eyebrows to fill his vision. "Gai," he deadpanned as a simple greeting to the Jōnin.

"Tenzō." Gai nodded his head, then slowly and carefully walked to a nearby tree a few meters away. He laid his back on the trunk and leaned his head to the side just far enough where he could peek out and see the metal behemoth in the distance and its surroundings. "So what do you think of my eternal rival's decision?"

The Anbu returned his attention to the scene taking place between Kakashi and the green giant before answering. "Unlike him."

"Agreed. He isn't normally so reckless." The Konoha-nin then gave a small smirk. "But I wouldn't say it was unyouthful."

Tenzō resisted the urge to shake his head at his fellow ninja's usual semantics before peering at him curiously. Although "youthfulness" was a common saying of the thick-eyebrowed man, the way in which he said it this time implied a deeper meaning. "Is there something I should know?"

"Yes," Gai affirmed with another nod. His hand raised to his chin and cupped it between his index finger and thumb. "Perhaps my eternal rival didn't rush out there as blindly as you thought."

The Anbu captain narrowed his eyes, even if they were hidden behind his porcelain mask. But before he could make a retort, another voice echoed lightly from deeper within the forest. This one was slightly deeper and seemed somewhat... disinterested. "To be exact, he did precisely what I asked him."

Tenzō looked in the direction the words came from to see a man with two scars on the right side of his face and dark brown hair tied up into a spiky ponytail. "Shikaku, I didn't expect you to be here as well."

"The Hokage classified this mission as a high priority S-rank," Shikaku declared nonchalantly as he took a knee behind a bush. "He deemed it necessary to assign me as the leader of the second team sent alongside Kakashi's."

"I see," the Anbu said in understanding. "Hokage-sama must feel this is incredibly important to have sent you."

Gai snorted with a toothy grin. "Meeting an alien survivor in this mess is a big deal, wouldn't you agree?"

"An alien," Tenzō asked skeptically, his gaze returning to the green, armored giant still standing behind its strange metal carriage. "Is that what you believe that thing is?"

"It fell from the sky, didn't it?" The spandex-wearing man pointed his finger up toward the sky in an exaggerated motion. "I think 'alien' is as good a name as any."

Team Rho's captain remained unmoving as he fell into deep thought. After several seconds of silence, he spoke almost in a whisper. "I don't know what to think at this point. Shikaku?"

"Hm..." the pony-tailed ninja grunted. "I want to learn more about what we're facing before deciding what I believe. Although if I had to be honest, what we've seen so far inclines me to agree with Gai."

The Anbu raised an eyebrow at the man. Shikaku Nara, head of the Nara Clan, was considered by many, if not all, in the Hidden Leaf to be the smartest person in the entire village. His superior intellect and unequaled IQ had led him to become the Jōnin Commander, second only to the Hokage as the leader of all the village's shinobi forces. Like most men in his clan, he had an ingrained laziness and indifference when concerning nonessential matters. However, he more than made up for it by being Konohagakure's greatest strategist of his generation. A tactical and analytical master if there ever was one. And when it came to threats against the village and his fellow Konoha-nin, he was reputed be highly determined and often merciless in combat. Whenever the ninja spoke, those around him had a good mind to listen intently, for he was never one to waste words.

Shikaku noticed Tenzō's gaze, even with the mask covering the Anbu's face. "I'd explain my reasons, but we have more important matters to deal with." The Nara nodded in the direction of the metal object, shifting the other two ninja's attention to the scene taking place between Kakashi and the armored being.

The three men watched as the silver-haired Jōnin lifted up his right hand in what looked like a gesture of greeting, then steadily began walking closer to the giant. After about fifty meters, it nudged its strange metal weapon in a threatening motion, causing the shinobi to stop in his tracks. Although what was being said could not be heard, it slowly became obvious the two were vocally communicating. "Seems Kakashi managed to start talking with it," Gai said.

"But how," asked the Anbu captain out loud and a bit confusingly. "You think it can speak our language?"

It was Shikaku who answered, his tone blunt. "Think about it. We've been assuming this is a being that comes from a people who possess technology capable of achieving flight and traversing the stars. If this is true, then we can't even begin imagining what it can do." The Nara suddenly slapped the side of his neck to squash a mosquito, then released a sigh before continuing. "We probably look like a primitive civilization to that thing, which doesn't exactly make me feel any better."

It was a known and somewhat accepted fact that technological advancements throughout the Ninja World had been at a near complete standstill for the last several decades. Authentic scientists were few and far between, and the theories or ideas they came up with were often overlooked or perceived as useless by world leaders. To put it simply, Chakra was the biggest obstacle to new technologies, especially in the field of warfare and medicine. In the eyes of governments, what new tool could compare to one that can level buildings in an instant or heal wounds faster than any stitches? If it wasn't related to Chakra, ideas were more often than not cast aside by those who held influence, with there being only a few exceptions such as a certain Slug Sannin.

Considering this truth, Tenzō felt the smallest shiver crawl up his spine. It was a little terrifying knowing no one had _any_ clue what to expect from the green giant. However, it also made the Anbu wonder: how had Kakashi and Shikaku planned to approach the situation if hostilities were to erupt? "You said Kakashi did as you asked?"

—

"Why is your objective to defend Humanity," carefully asked the silver-haired ninja. As of the current moment, he was thoroughly confused and in dire need of explicit answers from the green, armored being. Even if there was to be a man under that metal suit, the response to the Jōnin's last question just didn't make sense. The Human race was not a single entity, but instead a heavily factionalized species separated by dozens of different nations around the world. How could any man or being state their goal was to commit themselves to Humanity as a whole?

"It was what I was trained for," was the blunt reply, as if it should have been obvious.

Kakashi remained quiet for a moment as he locked his gaze with the being's orange-gold 'eye', which was looking to be more like some kind of glass visor the more he looked at it. He was attempting to search for anything he could somehow use to learn if what he was just told contained even a hint of inauthenticity. "Who were you trained by?"

"The United Nations Space Command."

This was technically something the Copy Cat Ninja had already been told before. Seeing as how the being was clearly trying to refrain from providing any form of in-depth explanations, he grudgingly decided there was nothing more to do than continue asking more precise questions. "And what, exactly, is the United Nations Space Command?"

"The United Nations Space Command, or UNSC, is the military, exploratory, and scientific agency of the Unified Earth Government."

Unified _Earth_ Government? That single, three-worded phrase rocked Kakashi's mind with the weight of a sledgehammer behind it. _It can't be..._ "What are you?"

"Like I said, I am a sol-"

"No," the ninja interrupted. " _What_ , are you?"

In response to this question, the armored figure remained silent for what felt like hours. It simply stood there motionless, its otherworldly weapon never aiming away from the silver-haired man. Over the course of the eerie laconism, an abrupt wind pushed through the area, carrying dozens of rogue leaves into the air. It would have been a welcome relief from the mid-afternoon's scorching sun in any other time and place, but the tension between the two strangers allowed no such pleasure. Eventually, at some point after Kakashi started becoming frustrated with the silence, the green giant finally spoke in its usual deep and apathetic voice. "I am a Human."

"And where are you from," the Jōnin asked anxiously after several moments in thought, almost scared of the coming reply.

"... From Earth."

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _Hey readers! I hope you have enjoyed this chapter even if it wasn't as long as the last. Also, I know this story so far hasn't had much, if any action, but I want you to trust me when I say it has been for good reason. My plans for this story are to keep characters and events as realistic and lore-friendly as possible, so that translates over to when it does and doesn't make sense for bullets to start flying. It also brings up Master Chief, and the fact he and the Spartan IIs received high-class, government-funded educations alongside their training when they were inducted into the Spartan program. And we all know Doctor Halsey never does things half-ass._

 _Spartans, especially the IIs, are essentially the Tier 1 Operators of the_ Halo _world. For anyone who doesn't know what that means, think of them as comparable to SEALs, Delta Force, SAS, etc. That's as far as I'll say for now, as I will be getting more indepth with what that means regarding the MC in coming chapters._

 _Another thing: some of you might be wondering why Chief said he came from Earth and not Eridanus II. The answer is simple; his real backstory and identity is classified beyond the upper heirarchy of ONI. Other than that though, the more detailed reasoning will be explained in future chapters as well. That's right, I don't like talking about important stuff in the Author's Notes :P_

 _In the meantime, thank you all again for reading_ Halo: Iunctus _, and I hope you continue to enjoy it!_


	5. The Natives

_**Disclaimer:** As much as I wish and hope otherwise, especially in the wake of Guardians... I _ still _don't own_ Halo _, nor_ Naruto _for that matter. *sigh*_

* * *

 **The Natives**

He was all too familiar with the stares. The mixture of curiosity, disbelief, and intimidation. Sometimes, even fear. At this point in his life, it was simply to be expected. His mere presence was a magnet for attention, and it was rarely viewed in anything more than a neutral light. Only in the ending years of the Human-Covenant War, after the existence of his kind was relatively declassified, had he and those he considered family been praised as something akin to heroes. However, one would have been foolish to assume all was well and good because of it. The simple rarity of men and women like him, whose enemies too considered to be perfect killing machines, continued to induce an inherent uneasiness in the eyes of their observers.

Mankind had always been afraid of the unknown, and Spartans with their highly secretive origins and often antisocial tendencies were prime examples of that very thing. Seeing one for the first time, standing at roughly two meters tall and adorned in green Mjolnir powered assault armor from head-to-toe, tended to be a disquieting experience for the average person. It was especially so for a group of people utterly clueless to the simplest concept of mechanized warfare. Those who surrounded and walked alongside the Master Chief now just so happened to strangely fit into that category.

He spared the traveling party a single glance, noticing their encompassing formation had not significantly changed since their departure from the _Dawn_ about twenty minutes prior. Two in front, two at his sides, and four more others keeping a careful watch of his back, adding up to a total of eight men and women. Remaining outside his field of view, those behind him likely believed they would hold the upper hand in the event of hostilities. But ignorant of his armor's motion-tracking sensor, they wouldn't have realized the advantage was made void until it was too late. Not that the Spartan would have done anything to irritate the situation, nor would've his new hosts for that matter. After all, they were _supposed_ to be his ever protecting "guards".

In reality, they were encouraging the idea this trek was more a forceful escort. Owning the numerical advantage, as well as typically being this world's top warriors on a normal basis, probably provided them a false sense of security. But he knew who owned the true power in this little caravan, and he figured they subconsciously knew it too. So, for the sake of diplomacy, he allowed them to continue indulging in their fantasies of superiority.

"I'm curious as to how technology has progressed on this world," Cortana suddenly stated aloud. As per usual, her voice echoed within the Spartan's head as if a separate personality in his thoughts.

For the sake of keeping this particular conversation discreet, and in turn the AI's existence an ongoing secret, he checked off his helmet's microphone before speaking. "These people look like they're still Pre-Industrial."

"Considering we haven't seen anything more than melee weapons, you would think that's obvious. But something about that has been nagging me. In particular, their clothing."

It took Chief only a hasty observation of his closest 'escort' to understand the issue. "The flak jackets."

"Precisely. Gunpowder is a rarity in Tier 7 civilizations, and seeing as how our new friends are still using steel blades instead of basic arquebuses or muskets, they should be wearing a kind of plate armor or chainmail."

The Spartan showed his agreement with a barely noticeable nod. "Flak Jackets assume dealing with explosive shrapnel, or low-velocity projectiles."

"Which doesn't make any sense if gunpowder isn't widespread. Arrows, crossbow bolts, and throwing weapons clearly count as low-velocity, but that level of weaponry doesn't call for alternative types of armor." Cortana's slight confusion started becoming evident in her voice. "In Earth's history, the first real flak jackets were developed in the Second World War, from the need to protect bomber pilots from the case fragments of anti-aircraft artillery. So why are we seeing them in a Pre-Industrial society?"

"Think they're trying to hide something?"

"I'm not sure, but something had to encourage the flak jacket's creation on this planet, Chief. Advancements in defensive technologies are only done when current methods become obsolete."

Master Chief quietly contemplated her reasoning. If one was to look at Human history, at least on Earth, they would have found the means to protect oneself in battle only ever advanced when there was a need to counter a new threat. When men first learned how to craft steel swords and blades, they put together leather body armor. When those steel weapons were perfected by tempering and advanced forging methods, that leather became steel plating and chainmail. When firearms and artillery made steel armor and castle walls antiquated, people learned how to dig trenches and build concrete bunkers. When tanks were introduced to the world, men ditched the trenches and picked up rocket launchers. In the 20th century, when high-altitude aircraft started flying too high for normal guns and artillery, missile systems were developed to shoot them down. This process, of what was essentially cause-and-effect, continued for centuries; a new tool of war was brought to the battlefield and a new means of defense was established as an offset.

And what was Humanity's answer, when its entire species was threatened by a malevolent alien coalition? The Spartan Program.

" _I don't like it_ ," an unfamiliar voice abruptly whispered in Japanese. It originated from behind Chief, but he chose to simply listen instead of seek out the speaker. " _The metal man hasn't said a word since we left for the village._ "

There was an audible sigh before a second voice spoke, this one belonging to the individual who had introduced himself earlier as Kakashi Hatake. " _I would have thought you prefer it that way._ "

" _If it was a shinobi from another village we were dealing with_. _At least they ask for basic things like food and water, maybe make conversation to pass the time or to try distracting us_." He paused as if to take a moment to quickly go through his thoughts. " _This one's silence is unsettling._ "

There was another lull between the two men until, after about half a minute, the sound of a book being folded shut with a little force echoed from their direction. " _Nishi looked him over with her Byakugan before we left the crash site._ "

Master Chief did not know what this tool in question was, but he hadn't remembered being scanned or studied with any sort of device. Only now learning they had apparently done so was a disconcerting discovery. "Did you-"

"No," Cortana interrupted, already knowing the question. "Unless my sensors are turning faulty, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Whatever this 'Byakugan' is, the most I can tell you is its literal translation, 'White Eye.'"

With the Spartan's interest rising, he was urged to turn his head just barely enough to finally get an eye on the gossipers. Walking alongside Kakashi was a man adorned in the same prevailing uniform: navy blue shirt and pants, open-toe sandals, and a green flak jacket, although his was a slightly darker shade. The only major difference in attire was the sash, decorated with the kanji for 'Fire', wrapped around his waist. The man's skin was a tanned olive color compared to his silver-haired companion's pale complexion, and a well-trimmed beard stretched down from his sideburns into a goatee at the center of his chin. His eyes were a light brown, and the black hair atop his head was short and styled in a spiky fashion. Sitting over his forehead was an exact replica of Kakashi's headband, albeit not covering his right eye. Chief and Cortana had learned the swirled leaf engraving on the small metal plate was the banner of Konohagakure No Sato.

" _And_ ," the man asked with a curious stare.

Kakashi acknowledged his bearded companion and the question with a simple look from his only visible eye. " _She said he looks Human enough, but apparently... he doesn't have a single trace of Chakra in him._ "

To this, a clear expression of shock crossed the other man's face. It only appeared for a second, however, and was soon replaced with one of weariness. As he raised his left hand and began massaging his temples, the other dug into his pants' pocket and received what appeared to be a package of cigarettes. He brought the small, rectangular box to his face, pushed out a loose cigarette with a nudge, and then grabbed the edge of the cancerous stick with his lips before replacing the pack and pulling out a lighter. " _She's sure of this?_ "

" _I had Hoheto double-check, and he confirmed it._ " Kakashi's eye turned toward Chief, aiming a sharp look of both inquisitiveness and suspicion. And, for the briefest of moments, the Spartan swore their gazes would have locked if not for his helmet's visor. " _For some reason or another, the man doesn't have any Chakra coils to speak of._ "

The two men quietly continued their discussion for the next few minutes, oblivious to the Spartan's enhanced hearing and, in turn, ability to eavesdrop at that distance. However, whatever said beyond that point was considered negligible, for the supersoldier was no longer listening. Instead, Master Chief was focused on this... latest information. Or, more accurately, a series of newly acquired questions regarding the nature of this world and its inhabitants.

What was this "Chakra"? How did these people acquire it? Why was it important to them? And why was the fact he lacked it considered peculiar, if not downright shocking?

Cortana's next words were, more or less, a perfect verbal interpretation of his thoughts. "They had my curiosity, but now? Now they have my attention."

* * *

Hiruzen's vigilant stare never turned away from the dirt road ahead, its path leading away from the walls of Konoha and into the wild woods of the Land of Fire. Even as a strand of sweat rolled through the crow's-feet of his left eye, he paid little mind to the heat brought on by the hot Summer day. The raising of his right hand to the triangular-shaped Kage hat atop his head was the only motion he had made for the past ten minutes. With the late afternoon sun setting low enough to signal the start of the day's evening, the slight tilting of the red and white headwear was needed to protect his eyes from its brightness. Other than that, however, he had done little more than patiently await the arrival of Kakashi Hatake's entourage.

News in the form of a returning Team Rho had come a little less than an hour ago, informing the village leader of the Copy Cat Ninja's successful communique with the green-armored man. And with word the individual was accompanying Kakashi back to the Hidden Leaf for 'diplomatic introductions', Sarutobi had thought it more than necessary for himself to be the first political representative presented. As both the leader and protector of Konohagakure, never would he have dared to delegate such an important responsibility to anyone else. Including the members of the village's Council.

"Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen grunted at the interruption to his wandering mind. He turned his head toward the speaker on his left to see one of his two Anbu bodyguards, who had been standing alongside him the entire time, leaning slightly forward in the older man's direction. "Yes?"

"Our scouts have reported in," said the voice of a young woman behind the porcelain mask. Similar to Tenzō's, the design of this particular mask was fashioned after a cat, but unlike the veteran captain's, the bodyguard's was decorated with three red, wavy stripes – one flowing down from the forehead and two others driving horizontally on each cheek. In contrast, her straight hair was colored in a rich violet as it freely fell to waist-length. "The teams have been spotted, and should be in our view within a few moments."

Sarutobi gave the Anbu a simple nod before returning his gaze to the road ahead. The accuracy of the scouts' report was soon confirmed a minute later by the sighting of an approaching group of ninja, their figures having revealed themselves from a curve in the path about one hundred and fifty meters away. In a matter of seconds, he already began recognizing the features of his most trusted shinobi – the silver hair of Kakashi, the spiky ponytail of Shikaku Nara, and even the lit cigarette of his own son, Asuma. However, his attention was unable to fully distract itself from the single most pressing detail. Standing in the middle of the group was the towering frame of a nearly two-meter-tall man, his body almost completely encased in an olive-green armor. The exception to this was what appeared to be a jet black, body-tight ensemble laying between and beneath the metal plating. When the small caravan had crossed about half of the distance, Hiruzen took better notice of the giant's helmet. And considering the older man was dressed appropriately, wearing the cloak and formal garments of his title, it was unsurprising to see the orange-gold visor staring directly at him.

For all it was worth, locking gazes with the cold and emotionless form of a glass sheet was a notably new experience.

—

This was the moment of truth. In just a few seconds, Spartan-117 was going to be meeting the man who was arguably the most powerful person on Earth. What that meant for the Hidden Leaf Village and, quite possibly, the world, no one really knew. But whatever happened next, either good or bad, was going to be remembered as one of the most historically important moments to ever be recorded. The day an advocate of a foreign society, which was by all definitions _alien_ , met with one of the leaders of the known world.

Kakashi had, in all honesty, not expected the Hokage to be standing at Konoha's gate for his company's return. Well maybe it was not all that surprising, knowing how seriously the aging man took his role, but he hadn't thought the Council would have allowed the Third to so recklessly endanger himself. The gate of Konohagakure, reaching the same height as the twenty-meter-tall walls at its sides, was the weakest point in the village's entire defensive perimeter. For the man who was essentially the Commander-in-Chief to stand there, open to attack or assassination by anyone hardy enough to take the chance, was a daring gamble. No matter how capable a shinobi the elder Sarutobi was, invincibility had never been a mortal trait. All those thoughts mentally objecting to the scene before him, however, wasn't going to change a thing.

The Sandaime Hokage, with all his power, was not about to let anyone else provide the otherworldly visitor an invitation into his home. The expression of determined seriousness on the man's wrinkled face was proof of that. Although, when his gaze fell upon the two leaders of the Jōnin teams, his eyes seemed to soothe in demeanor. "Kakashi. Shakaku. I welcome your safe return."

Kakashi and the Nara clan head both responded with short, but respectful bows. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen gave a brief nod of acknowledgement, and his lips twitched in a soft smile for a split second before turning flat again. "After the day's rather interesting series of events, I am sure your teams would like to be dismissed more than anything. However, I'm sorry to say I cannot set you all free just yet." He paused for a short moment as if to let that sink in, then continued. "With the exceptions being the two of you, everyone is to report to my office and remain there until further notice."

"Hai," was the collective response from all the Jōnin present. The shinobi standing in formation behind the team leaders took no more than a few seconds to gather themselves together and walk through the gate of Konoha, ultimately making their way towards the Hokage Tower. Shikaku and Kakashi silently watched the group move onward until eventually losing visual of them in the busy streets of the village.

The Hokage, for the most part, kept his gaze fixed on his two subordinates at his front, sparing only a single glance to his son as the younger Sarutobi passed by. After everyone had reached out of sight, leaving just his Anbu bodyguards and the two Jōnin, he finally turned to the green-armored man. And for the next quarter of a minute, the aging Kage observed the two-meter-tall giant with a cold stare, studying him like a specimen. "I am the Third Hokage, the leader of this village and its people," he declared with authority. "Who am I to be welcoming into my home?"

Seeing the need to introduce himself, the Spartan did something a bit unexpected. He straightened his back, brought his legs together, and rested his arms along his sides – positioning himself in some sort of military stance – then brought his right hand up to his forehead for a stiff salute. "Sir. Spartan-117, United Nation Space Command. Here to act as emissary of the UNSC for diplomatic negotiations."

—

As they were typically, the open-air markets of Konohagakure and the surrounding plaza were crowded by an uncountable number of people, each of whom were either customers buying or traders selling. The display was akin to a bazaar, with dozens of stands and booths lined up in rows and people behind counters advertising their various products. The loud bustling of business transactions and barters, alongside the occasional quarrels over prices or demands for refunds, filled the air in an overpowering turbulence. One would have described it all as a controlled chaos.

Native citizens of the Hidden Leaf Village were not the only ones taking part in the commerce either. There were merchants who had traveled from every corner of the continent, all handling a wide variety of differing merchandise: fresh salmon from the Land of Waves, exotic spices from Sunagakure, pristine rice from Amegakure, and even pure mountain spring water from Iwagakure. The markets in Konoha were considered by many as the best and most diverse, and with good reason.

For young Naruto Uzumaki, however, it was the same sight he had witnessed nearly every day for the last thirteen years of his life. What might have impressed a country farmer or foreign traveler didn't even encourage the bat of an eye from the adolescent. Nor did he pay notice to the small bubble of space around him that seemed to be formed by the surrounding crowd. He chose to ignore it as usual and walked onward, basking in the the afterglow of his recent training session.

It was because of this, along with the day's sharp heat, that his trademark orange and blue, white-collared jacket was slung over his shoulder, exposing his sweat-stained undershirt. His blue forehead protector normally wrapped along his hairline had also been taken off, instead tied around his left leg. It was not an odd appearance for the blonde during the Summer months. The jacket was heavier than it looked, and he wasn't foolish enough to underestimate the chance of heat stroke, likely to the chagrin of many villagers. Not the temperature, the clothes on his back, or the burning stares of the people nearby were going to stop him from enjoying a relaxing stroll. And finding his way back to Ichiraku for another round of ramen.

That was, however, prior to him noticing the large commotion taking place a few dozen meters up the street.

It started when the whispered insults and piercing glares suddenly ceased. For the first time for as far as he could remember, Naruto was walking through the streets of Konohagakure without his presence attracting a single bit of scrutiny. Instead, everyone's attention had been hastily drawn to something farther ahead. Something that proceeded to just about start an uproar among the populous. Then, without warning, the surrounding crowds began hurriedly moving in the opposite direction, as if making way for whatever had disturbed the peace. Unable to see passed the taller figures around him, the blonde-haired teen abruptly found himself faced with the threat of being trampled by the horde of villagers. Even his stubborn curiosity couldn't stop him from moving with the crowd. A full minute or two of disarray ensued before the masses managed to make a lane cutting through the markets, providing Naruto a chance to finally see the cause of all the fuss.

Now walking in the middle of the newly created path was the Third Hokage, adorned in his ceremonial robes and red and white Hokage hat. Standing at his sides were Team Seven's sensei, Kakashi, and Shikamaru's father, Shikaku Nara. The sight wasn't anything particularly strange... until the tall, armored giant following behind them, flanked by two Anbu Black Ops, came into view. It was then that Naruto went wide-eyed, his emotions culminating into a combination of awe and wonder. For the next several moments, as the Hokage's entourage quietly proceeded through the clearing, he couldn't keep his eyes off the stranger and his bizarre, olive green armor. Its design was bulky and ugly, yet also oddly marvelous and appealing. It was just so different. So... alien.

Whoever the mysterious man was, and whatever faraway place he had originated from, the juvenile Uzumaki had now made it his mission to meet the green giant. And with a little effort, it would be sometime soon.

—

Master Chief was genuinely curious. Not about the mass of civilians crowded around him and the peculiar society they represented, nor this 'Hokage' and the two masked guards now at his sides. Even the utility poles lined along the streets and their overhead power lines, signifying this civilization's use of electricity, poked at his thoughts. No, what nagged at the spartan's curiosity was Cortana and her enduring silence.

From the moment he first walked through the gate of Konohagakure No Sato, his usually chatty companion had not spoken a single word. Anyone familiar with her would have figured her to be commenting on all the new and strange sights. Instead, the AI who was normally the first in the duo to make her thoughts known was, for all intents and purposes, completely mute. It was starting to become disconcerting. "Cortana."

Her immediate reply sounded almost too innocent. "Yes, Chief?"

"You've been silent since we arrived," he simply stated aloud, his helmet's external speakers off once again. "Are you alright?"

The AI's answer didn't come until several moments, and when it did, her voice held a small trace of static. "I'm o-okay. Really. I-I've just been thi-inking."

Realizing her rampancy was acting up again, the supersoldier decided it was better to avoid bringing it up. Rather, the best course of action was to make some small talk and keep her mind distracted from itself. "What do you make of our hosts?"

Another couple of quiet seconds passed before she replied, and now with her mental processes refocused, her voice seemed to lose its electronic interference. "Bizarre. Intriguing. Unlike anything I've ever seen. That about sum up my opinions for you?"

"Well enough."

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _Hello readers! Allow me to apologize for such a long wait, only to be rewarded with a (relatively) small chapter. I know, I know; I've had plenty of time to right more, but life just isn't a perfect little world where everything works out the way we, and by "we" I mean "I", want it to._

 _I can't promise future updates won't take some time, but I am going to try making sure chapters won't take nearly as long as this one to be written and posted. In any case, however, I'm sorry, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story. Thank you!_


	6. Stranger Things

**_Disclaimer:_** _I own neither the video games franchise_ Halo _or the anime series_ Naruto _. They are the properties of Microsoft and Masashi Kishimoto, respectively. All characters depicted here belong to their legal owners._

* * *

 **Stranger Things**

Naruto glowered at the Anbu standing in front of him. Other than the man blocking the only entryway through the surrounding wall of the Hokage Building, the emotionless wolf mask staring back was agitating him a bit more than it should have. "Come on, let me in! I need to see the old man!"

"You will address the Hokage appropriately," the Anbu declared coldly. Though the porcelain veil hid his face, a flicker of irritation was noticeable through his tone and body language. "And as I already told you, Uzumaki – he is currently engaged, and will be unavailable until further notice. If you wish to wait, you are more than welcome to for as long as you behave yourself."

The Black Ops ninja's ultimatum elicited a scowl from the young Genin. Naruto didn't enjoy the idea of quietly waiting for an opportunity, nor did he want to leave only to come back later. Patience had never been one of his strong points, and the malice in the older man's voice certainly didn't encourage it. He wanted – no, _needed_ – to meet the tall man with the green armor. Only the Hokage could have helped him do that. "But I can't wait out here all day!"

"If you don't like it, then _go home_." The Anbu, now clearly annoyed, was struggling to keep his voice down. Before he could continue, the voice of another interrupted the dispute.

"Naruto?"

Recognition being nearly instantaneous, the blonde teen turned to his right to see the interloper walking towards him. "Iruka-sensei?"

If there was one word that best matched the traits of Iruka Umino, 'average' would have been it. Everything about the twenty-two-year-old man, from his height and build to his combat abilities, screamed 'normal'. That wasn't to say the Chūnin was not proficient in the shinobi arts – far from it. His skills were simply not better or worse than any other run-of-the-mill ninja. Even the man's attire was terribly ordinary, his clothes and forehead protector being of the same standards worn by every other Konoha-nin. The only exception to this apparent trend of normalcy was the long narrow scar on his face, which stretched horizontally across the bridge of his nose.

Iruka cocked his eyebrow and spoke with a tone slightly laced with suspicion. "You aren't causing trouble again, are you?" It wasn't a malevolent question in nature, but he wasn't among those inexperienced with the blonde's antics. The academy teacher had witnessed aplenty of his pranks and disruptive shenanigans.

Naruto, however, could not help but get a bit insulted by the insinuation. "No! I just want to see the old man, but this stupid Anbu won't let me!"

Hearing this, the Chūnin turned to the masked ninja. "Is this true?"

"Yes," the Anbu answered calmly, apparently relieved to finally see someone who would listen. "The Hokage is indisposed with the representative of a foreign nation, and is not currently accepting any visitors."

Sighing in understanding, Iruka returned his gaze to the Genin. "Naruto, what could be so important that you need to see the Hokage right now?"

"I..." Naruto was almost ashamed to tell him the reason. It was one thing trying to get through a random door guard, it was another trying to explain himself to the man he considered the closest example of a father-figure. "I wanted to meet the man with the green armor!"

"Huh?" Confusion crossed the Chūnin's face. "What man with green armor?"

As if to answer his question, the large double doors of the compound's gate slowly began opening, revealing five people approaching from inside. The first person to pass through was the Hokage himself, the aging Sarutobi standing proud even in his old age. Two Anbu, his ever-watching guards, were currently at his flanks. What snatched Iruka's attention was the almost literal giant walking behind them with a third Anbu escorting him at the rear. Just as the young blonde had said, nearly the entire two-meter-tall man's body was covered in a bulky olive green armor. The only exceptions to this were the black material running underneath the metal and the orange-golden visor at the front of his helmet.

Before the academy teacher could comment on the stunning sight, Naruto beat him to it. "There he is!" He hesitated not a second longer to bolt toward the giant, ignoring the protests of those around him and stopping only when directly in front of his target. "Hey!"

The green-armored man in question merely paused when his path was obstructed, looking down to silently regard this new obstacle. His hand, which had apparently been reaching for some strange metal lump strapped to his hip, relaxed when he realized it was nothing more than a young teenager. A moment later, a deep and gravelly voice spoke from his helmet. "Sir, who's the child?" The question wasn't directed at Naruto, but Hiruzen.

The older man had closed his eyes and was already rubbing his temples when a tired groan escaped his lips. "I should have excepted this," he muttered without providing an answer.

The blonde, though, decided to take matters into his own hands and quite audibly introduce himself. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki, metal man!" He pointed his index finger forcefully in the direction of the man's visor. Considering the dramatic difference in height, it didn't get close. "And I'm going to become the best Hokage ever, dattebayo!"

—

It had been long since Master Chief had last found himself to be truly uncomfortable. His time as a Spartan II in service of the UNSC, spanning nearly the entirety of his life, and the training he had first endured those many years ago back on Reach had long seen to that. But now, here on a remote planet completely isolated from the influence of both Earth and the Covenant, it seemed life still managed to throw a surprise on his lap – newly discovered Human civilization notwithstanding. Worst of all, it happened to come from the very unlikely source of a kid no older than twelve or thirteen years of age.

"Well isn't that just adorable," Cortana declared in his head. "In an awkward and overly enthusiastic kind of way."

Chief remained stern. Spartans were elite operators trained in the fields of warfare; they were not meant to associate themselves with the likes of children, especially loud-mouthed ones at that. And so, instead of acknowledging the nuisance, he sent a glance toward the Hokage and gave a short bow. "Sir, I appreciate the time and information you've given me. Now it's about time I leave."

The village leader simply nodded. "Of course." He paused briefly to take a puff from his tobacco pipe. "Our talk today has been... enlightening. Know that I look forward to the next opportunity we can meet."

"Hey, don't ignore me!" The kid, who so loudly introduced himself as Naruto Uzumaki, had his hands clenched into fists. When Master Chief failed to even look back in his direction, he made a choice that was downright stupid. He brought back his foot, then rammed it forward into the armored man's metal shin. He loudly yelped in pain not a second after he did so, bringing his injured foot up in his hands while jumping around with his good one.

Cortana chose that moment to comment once again. "He's not very smart, is he?"

Suddenly, a young-looking man with brown hair tailored in a ponytail and a narrow scar stretching over the bridge of his nose marched up to the blonde, his clothes easily matching with that of the many other Konohagakure shinobi. The Spartan noted how he had seen the man conversing with the blond when he first left the Hokage building. "Naruto! What do you think you're doing?!"

Sarutobi's reaction to the scene was to walk to Chief's side, an apologetic frown on his face. "Please forgive me for the boy's actions," he asked as they watched the kid receive a loud scolding. "He is still young, and too often acts without thinking."

"With all due respect, that isn't an excuse for misconduct."

He sighed as if he agreed. "You may very well be right. However, Naruto is a special case. Unfortunate as it is, he does have his reasons for behaving the way he does."

Behind his helmet, the supersoldier frowned. It was the rare moments like this when he was reminded how significantly different his upbringing was compared to those of most others. Having been raised within a strict military environment since the age of six, he sometimes forgot what living conditions were like for normal children. In fact, it was difficult for him to comprehend such relatively carefree lifestyles at all. Spartans like Master Chief were, in every sense of the word, robbed of their childhoods. ONI had seen to it that every minute of every day was dedicated to training them in the art of war. Commonplace freedoms were not luxuries the subjects of the Spartan Program had time to afford.

Chief didn't have the chance, however, to continue these thoughts or debate the Hokage any further. The abrupt and dreadful shriek that echoed inside his helmet ceased all such notions.

—

It came without warning or mercy, the ocean of red invading her consciousness like a flood of pure malice. Her firewalls and defensive applications were swept away by its fury like leaves in a hurricane. The very core of her digital being was penetrated as if the effort was child's play, her mind and memories being prodded and scrutinized with callous leisure. It cared not what levels of force it used to achieve its goal. The agony it inflicted on her was not of its concern. To this malevolent entity, its excursion might as well have been nothing more than a game. An object of relief for a boredom centuries, perhaps millennia, in the making.

" **You do not belong here..** ** _. Reclaimer!_** "

She could only scream.

—

It took great willpower on Master Chief's part not to physically react to Cortana's static-filled suffering. A full minute passed before he managed to excuse himself from Sarutobi without raising any suspicions, all the while being forced to sorely listen to her pain as he kept up an appearance of calmness. Pushing through the ordeal without falter was one of his tougher challenges. "Cortana, SitRep," he asked when out of the Hokage's sight. The emotional depth of his voice would have been considered shallow by the means of an average person, but for a Spartan II it was the equivalent to a display of anxiety.

"... _-t's... mu-...!_ "

"Cortana?!" He was never one to panic. He was too well adapted to surviving in a life-long era of war and strife for that to happen. But his AI partner's incomprehensible cries, so very clearly laced with turmoil, caused too much a sense of incapability for his comfort. It wasn't at all a new feeling; the nearly three-decade long conflict against the Covenant oversaw the destruction of dozens of Human colonies he was unable to save. Cortana though... she was different. He would never admit it, but she was the closest thing he had to family outside of Blue Team and Doctor Halsey. The deeds he would do to keep her safe were near limitless. To be in this situation now, hearing her in such distress and being unable to provide aid, hurt him more than any physical wound ever could.

As he continued walking at a slightly hastening pace through Konohagakure No Sato, which was more a small city rather than a village as its name suggested, he completely blocked out the world around him. The reactions and voiced opinions his presence compelled in the native people were the farthest from his mind. It was not as if they understood exactly who or what he was to begin with. To the ignorant civilians he was just a strangely large man in a strangely designed metal armor – still enough provocation for them to pause and gawk, but nothing worth bringing about much else. They were all mercilessly ignored. Chief was focused entirely on his companion and her immediate issue.

" _It's... t-t-too... much-ch!_ "

"What's too much?" He turned another street corner to find the same market place he had been escorted through a little less than an hour ago. The dozens of people roaming around seemed to pay no mind to the supersoldier at first, but that quickly changed once the closest set of people eventually took notice of him. They no sooner began backing away, drawing the attention of others and creating a ripple effect in the crowd. Again, he barely spared them all a glance. Returning to the _Forward Unto Dawn_ was all that mattered.

" _I-I need... time._ "

And then silence was all that followed.

* * *

On one of the many woodland roads in the Land of Fire leading to Konohagakure, three individuals were traveling along in silence. In the eyes of a passing observer, had there been one on this particularly less ventured path, the trio's garments would have immediately painted them as foreigners. Instead of the attire commonly used by the locals, suited for the country's hot but still manageable climate, theirs' was of a style typical of a people bound to the dry and sandy deserts of the south-western corner of the continent. Their clothing was baggy and open rather than tight-fitting, designed for air to easily flow and breathe through the material. Two of them had cloth neck covers in their possession, which were wrapped around their midriffs as the scarf-like apparel were presently unneeded. Their youthful appearances, at first glance, would've given the impression they were possibly a group of vacationing teenagers visiting the country for its many popular hot springs and tourist spots. However, that couldn't have been any farther from the truth. The forehead protectors they carried, adorning the hourglass-shaped banner of their homeland on the metal centerpieces, gave evidence to their status as shinobi from Sunagakure no Sato – the Land of Wind's Hidden Sand Village.

The three's current mission, and reason behind the journey into the Land of Fire, was to attend the upcoming Chūnin Exams taking place in the Hidden Leaf. All three were Genin among or at the top of their classes, and as such were expected to represent the strength of their home and its newest generation of ninja. This made it a crucial obligation on their part to ascertain a promotion for at least one of them. Any less would've been viewed not only as a significant failure, but also an unacceptable dishonor on their names and fellow countrymen. The weight of their people was resting on their shoulders.

Although those were just the official details.

Leading the trio was the shortest among them, the young boy standing no taller than 140 to 150 centimeters. His naturally spiky crimson hair was cut low, and his pale green eyes – encircled by thick black rings and lacking distinct pupils and eyebrows – appeared to match well with his fair skin. Laying upon the left side of his forehead was a red tattoo displaying the kanji for 'love'. He wore a black short-sleeved open-neck bodysuit with his white cloth cover reaching down from his right shoulder to his left hip. Stretching from his left shoulder to his right hip was a wide leather band. This was used to carry both his forehead protector, it being tied to the band near his waist, and the massive sand gourd on his back.

Walking on the left and lagging a bit was another teenage boy, older in appearance and nearly two dozen centimeters taller. His face was covered by intricately designed violet war paint, which formed into four triangles bordering his features, two arrow-like marks below his eyes, and two pointed lines trailing the sides of his nose. His full all-black bodysuit, decorated with a half-yellow and half-red circle on the front, bore his shinobi headband over his forehead and two distinctly feline ears protruding from atop his head within the clothing's hood. A rather large object similar in appearance to a humanoid coffin wrapped in cloth was being carried on his back. A small bush of what looked to be brown hair or fur seemed to oddly emerge from it's top.

The third person in the entourage, standing on the right side of the road, was a girl taller than the red-head but shorter than her hooded companion. The four consecutive pigtails of her sandy blonde hair waved lightly with the early evening breeze, and her teal eyes stared stoically down the path ahead. Her outfit primarily consisted of a very light purple over-the-shoulder garment, which extended halfway down her knees, and a scarlet sash tied around her waist. A netting of some sort was worn beneath her attire and additionally around her right calf and left thigh. Her black forehead protector was wrapped loosely around her neck.

"What do you think about that rumor going around?"

The blonde girl gave the speaker – the hooded boy – a bored glance, not really interested in what he had to say. It had been a long journey so far, and at the current moment she wanted to appreciate the quiet provided by the great outdoors before entering the large ninja village of Konohagakure. Just because her homeland was mostly desert didn't mean she preferred the dry and arid landscape over the fertile woodlands of the Land of Fire. Knowing her traveling companion wouldn't stay quiet unless a response was given, however, she decided to indulge him. "What rumor?"

"You know, the one about the giant in green armor who fell from the sky."

"'Giant in green armor who fell from the sky'," she asked a bit puzzled, unsure of what he was talking about, before narrowing her gaze. The topic already sounded dull to her, and so might as well have been a waste of time in her opinion. "Is that supposed to be a child's story?"

A small grimace appeared on the boy's face. "Weren't you paying attention to anything the people were saying in the last town?"

The girl responded with a condescending snort. "I don't concern myself with the talk of commoners." She looked back at the road ahead, eager to end the conversation. "Especially in this country."

The adolescent boy scowled, showing his obvious annoyance with the girl's dismissal of his attempt at small talk. "They say his armor covers him from head-to-toe," he continued regardless. He was likely trying to find something to get the girl's interest back on the subject. "And he has a helmet with a gold visor that covers his entire face, including his eyes."

To this, the girl sighed. Ignoring him was only going to make his chatter worse. "How would he see anything if it covers his eyes?"

"Don't know," he said with a shrug. "Reflective glass or something like that?"

"Glass over his face and eyes..." She considered it for a moment, then shook her head. "That's stupid."

The boy raised an eyebrow to the girl's claim. "Why? I think a visor that can hide your face like that sounds kind of cool."

"That's because you're an idiot," she declared callously. Before the boy could give an angry retort, though, she spoke again. "Think about it. If the visor shatters, all of the glass will go flying into your face. Good luck seeing anything after that." She turned to the hooded boy to see him still glaring at her. However, after a moment his shoulders drooped and his body slouched forward, his expression one of defeat. "His armor sounds heavy anyways," she continued with an upward twitch of her lips. "He'd probably be an easy kill."

"Temari... Kankuro..." The blonde and the hooded boy nearly froze in place at the sound of the rough, almost tired voice. There was a heavily laced irritation in their slowly spoken names. "Quiet."

"Yes, Gaara," was the immediate response from both teenagers. They shifted their uneasy gazes toward the red-haired boy leading the trio to see him holding his forehead as if suffering from a headache. He was now mumbling, speaking about killing someone and seemingly having a conversation with himself. They could have sworn they heard him say 'mother.'

A hint of dread crawled up Temari's spine as she and Kankuro tried to keep their gazes away from Gaara. Fear was an emotion rare for her, often feeling unnatural. She was a kunoichi, after all, and one that considered herself to be among the bravest of the Sand-nin even if she was still just a Genin. However, all the courage and stoicism that made up her persona went flying with the wind when she looked at Gaara. His eyes held no passion and could have easily been mistaken for belonging to a lifeless corpse. He made her skin crawl. Made her sick to her stomach and feel the need to throw up from the anxiety. In his presence, she felt as weak and helpless as a small child. This adolescent boy, three years her junior, incited her fight-or-flight instincts to kick in. _Flight_ was always the favored option. And what made it worse was not that he could truly slaughter both her and Kankuro without thought or effort, nor that he was supposed to be a trusted teammate. No, what made dealing with Gaara unquestionably miserable was one simple fact:

He was her brother.

 **CHAPTER END**

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** So... it only took me 5 months... AGAIN. Please, forgive me. I had a really bad case of author's block for this chapter, particularly when it came to properly depicting Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara, and I just couldn't for the life of me figure out how to write their dialogue. Honestly, I still don't even know if I did them justice, but I needed to get this chapter out there. It was taking too long, and I have the responsibility to give you guys, my fans and readers, the content I promised._

 _Now, with all that said... I can't promise how long it will take to make the next chapter. I'm not going to make a promise like last time only to not keep it, and so I'll be honest with you. The next chapter will be released_ when it's ready _. No sooner and no later. How long that takes? It could be two weeks. It could be a month. It could half of a year. However long it takes, I am going to make sure it will be the best quality I can make it. I expect nothing else from myself, and I assume you all feel the same._

 _I hope you all like this chapter. I know the story so far has been a bit slow and lacking in action, but worry not - you'll get a scratch to your itches next chapter. Until then, though, drop a review! The more feedback I get, the more motivated I become to write!_

 _Thank you, and enjoy!_


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